Wheaton, Ill. -- After Friday's scheduled match against MSOE was changed to a scrimmage, the Thunder women's tennis team officially opened its fall competition slate on Saturday afternoon with a test against Lake Forest College. Today's match represented the lone non-conference fixture for Wheaton before the team begins its CCIW schedule next weekend. The visiting Foresters came into Saturday's meeting having won their last three matches against Wheaton in their annual series, but the Thunder snapped this streak with a solid 5-2 victory on home court.
LFC's top doubles pairing notched a hard-fought win, but it counted for little on the scoreboard as Wheaton had already secured the doubles point for the day with victories in the #2 and #3 matches.
Ella Malone and freshman
Molly Ramsey made light work of their #2 doubles opponents with a smooth 6-1 result, while
Mia Luo and
Carly O'Leary eased to a 6-2 tilt to give the hosts the first tally.
Another rookie debutant,
Karis Kim, enjoyed a successful first appearance for the Orange and Blue via a straight-set 6-1, 6-4 win at #1 singles this afternoon. Lake Forest claimed two points from victories at #2 and #3 singles, but Wheaton's strength in the back half of the lineup ensured that the reigning CCIW Tournament champions began the new campaign in winning fashion.
Sophie Dew was a 6-3, 6-2 victor at #4 singles, while Luo maintained her perfect career record in collegiate singles matches with a 7-6, 6-1 result in the #6 duel. Malone shrugged off a narrow defeat in the first frame of her #5 contest to outlast her Foresters rival with a 7-5 second set win and a 10-7 scoreline in the resulting tiebreak game.
Having begun the fall season with a positive result, the Thunder team will now turn its attention to conference play. Wheaton welcomes Elmhurst University to campus next Saturday for an 11 AM match in both programs' CCIW opener.
