Hanover Park, Ill. -- Taking to the courts for its first competitive match since April, the Wheaton women's tennis team started the 2024-25 schedule with a home contest against the Milwaukee School of Engineering in a non-conference meeting. The two sides were scheduled to play on Wheaton's campus, but the match was moved indoors to Centre Court Athletic Club due to an unfavorable weather forecast. The Thunder began their slate with a dominant showing, cruising past their northern visitors by a margin of 7-0 to make it 1-0 on the year.

The three doubles matches in Friday's fixture were collectively counted as a single decision, so Wheaton's three wins to begin the match only made for one point on the team scoresheet. 

Upperclassmen Lydia Adams and Madeline Gentry teamed up in the first doubles slot and registered a 6-2 win, while the pairs of Alexandra Wachs and Ella Malone and Delaney Canning and Janet Kondo earned perfect 6-0 results in their #2 and #3 doubles contests, respectively.

Leading by a score of 1-0 heading into singles play, the Thunder won all six individual matchups to account for the final tally of 7-0. The hosts were so superior on the court that the visiting Raiders only managed to win one game in the 12 sets played in singles competition. Gentry and Wachs earned double-bagel successes at #1 and #2 singles, before Adams took her #3 singles match at 6-1, 6-0. Malone matched her doubles partner Wachs on two perfect results on Friday with her 6-0, 6-0 #4 singles result and earned the first pair of wins in her collegiate career. Canning and Tatum Thurstone then completed the romp with two unblemished sweeps at #5 and #6 singles, respectively, to ensure a perfect first day of competitive action for the home side.

Fresh off of a flawless victory, the Thunder will return to the Wheaton Tennis Courts on campus on Saturday afternoon to face Lake Forest College at 2:30 PM in their second non-conference test of the opening weekend.