Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
Coe Box Score
Edgewood Box Score
HANOVER PARK, Ill. (Apr. 14, 2019) – The North Central College women's tennis team extended their program-best season win total to 16 with a pair of non-conference victories over Coe College and Edgewood College on Sunday, while
Hannah Hougland tied the individual single-season wins record in the process.
With her two singles wins, Hougland increases her season record to 23-6, tying Abigail Conover's '11 single-season wins record set in the 2009-10 season. Teaming up with
Alaina Kanthaphixay in doubles play, the pair broke the single-season wins record of 17 earlier this seaon and increased their season record to 22-7.
Opening the day with an early start time against Coe, the Cardinals (16-6) came out firing in doubles play, as Hougland and Kanthaphixay rolled to a 8-2 win over Lauren French and Eliza Sundermann at the No. 1 position.
Morgan House and
Tiffany Smolik then fought out a tough 8-6 victory over Isabella Hoppenjans and Victoria Montoya at No. 3, while
Diana Barcelata and
Katie McGraw completed the sweep by defeating Lakyn Boltz and Ella White, 8-1 at the No. 2 spot.
In singles play, Kanthaphixay put the Cardinals up 4-0 with an easy 6-1, 6-0 win over Sundermann at No. 3, before Coe (9-12) broke up the shutout attempt with a wins at No. 1 and No. 5 to cut the lead in half. That proved to be as close as the Kohawks would come to overtaking the lead however, as McGraw clinched the team victory at No. 4 with a 6-1, 6-2 victory before Hougland and Smolik each overcame first set losses to win in three.
In the afternoon match against Edgewood, Barcelata and McGraw opened the scoring with a 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles over Kai Heineman and Alicia Picard, but the Eagles (19-5) rebounded to win the final two positions to take a 2-1 lead into singles play.
The Cardinals shook off the pair of losses to end doubles play and rattled off three-straight wins at 1, 2 and 3 singles to re-gain the lead 4-2. Barcelata was no match for Sydney Verbauwhede at the No. 1 position, earning a 6-1, 6-0 win, while Hougland eased past Alyssa Carew, 6-1, 6-2 at the No. 2 spot.
At No. 3, Kanthaphixay overcame a 6-4 first-set loss to complete a 6-4, 10-6 comeback win over Heineman, before Edgewood trimmed the Cardinal lead 4-3 with a straight-set win at No. 6.
That win at No. 6 proved to be the lone Eagle win in singles play as House clinched the match victory with a 6-2, 6-4 straight-set victory over Marissa Wilson at No. 5, while McGraw finished out the afternoon with a hard fought 7-6, 4-6, 10-6 win over Picard at No. 4.
This wraps up the regular season schedule for North Central, as the Cardinals begin postseason play at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Automatic Qualifier Tournament, as the fourth-seeded Cardinals take on top-seed and host Augustana College on Friday, Apr. 26 at 12 p.m. at the Lower Campus Courts in Rock Island, Illinois.
