Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Apr. 27, 2024) - Winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin for the fourth straight season, the North Central College women's tennis team beat North Park University 5-1 on Saturday afternoon to win their 23rd match of the season, breaking the previous program wins record of 22, set by the 2021-22 and 2022-23 teams.

Today's win also marks the 46th straight win over CCIW teams, dating back to 2019. 

Mikayla Edquiban and Kayla McSweeney rolled to an 8-2 win in the No. 3 spot before Abigail Penados and Natalie Bassett won 8-2 at No. 1 to take a 2-1 lead into singles play.

With a 6-0, 6-1 win in the No. 6 fixture, Kate Herlihy captured the first singles win of the day. Putting the Cardinals one match away from the win, Edquiban earned a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 5. Clinching the team victory was Bassett who won 6-3, 6-1 in the No. 2 position, giving North Central a 5-1 win. Kensington Payne won the first set of her match at No. 3 prior to the clinch.

By winning the CCIW Tournament, the Cardinals earned the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive year. The selection show, which will reveal North Central's next opponent and location, is set for 12 p.m. (ET) on NCAA.com.

Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.