Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Box Score

WAUKESHA, Wis. (Apr. 24, 2021) – Closing out the regular season on Saturday, the North Central College women's tennis team turned in the first unbeaten College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) regular season in program history, setting a new single-season conference win record at a perfect 8-0.

North Central (11-5, 8-0 CCIW) jumped out to a 3-0 lead after doubles play, as Kaeli Smashey and Nina Patience opened the scoring with a 8-2 decision at the No. 3 position over Rachel Papp and Franceseca Grimes.

Hannah Hougland and Alaina Kanthaphixay were next to finish atop the lineup, scoring a decisive 8-1 victory over Grace Krueger and Maya Gaedtke, before Mikayla Edquiban and Sydney Sawyer made it 3-0 Cardinals with a 8-2 defeat of Lora Leach and Carolyn Merkatoris at the No. 2 position.

At the No. 1 singles position, Smashey was not match for Krueger in a 6-1, 6-1 final, while Kanthaphixay followed suit with an identical 6-1, 6-1 match-clinching win over Leach at the No. 3 spot.

Following up at No. 2, Hougland defeated Gaedtke, 6-0, 6-4, before Edquiban shut out Merkatoris in straight 6-0 sets at No. 4.  At the No. 5 spot, Sawyer rolled Papp, 6-0, 6-1, while Patience closed out the perfect day for the Cardinals with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Clare Vernath at No. 6.

Smashey, Hougland and Sawyer all finished a perfect 8-0 in singles play over the conference slate, while Edquiban and Kanthaphixay each finished 6-0.

North Central finished the CCIW schedule with five shutouts and held an overall record of 67-5 in total sets played.

The Cardinals will be the No. 1 seed in next week's CCIW Automatic Qualifier Tournament, opening play on Tuesday, Apr. 27 against the winner of No. 8 Illinois Wesleyan University and No. 9 North Park University at Nike Park at 2 p.m.