Contact: Rachel Balinao, Graduate Assistant Athletics Communication, rabalinao@noctrl.edu
Bracket
ST. LOUIS, Mo. (Sept. 21, 2025) - The North Central College women's tennis team sent four Cardinals to compete at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Central Regional Championships, highlighted by a round of 16 finish from senior Abigail Penados.
In singles play, No.7 ranked
Abigail Penados received a first-round bye before defeating Augustana's Hannah Colbert, 6-2, 6-4, in the round of 64. Penados advanced with another victory over Oliwia Mikos (University of Chicago), 6-2, 7-6 (7-5), before the run came to an end in the round of 16 against Case Western Reserve's Katalina Wang, 0-6, 6-3, 6-2.
No. 17 ranked
Kensington Payne also earned a first-round bye and followed it with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Marina Ribeiro from Calvin College. Payne's tournament ended in the round of 32 with a 6-1, 6-2 loss to Kenyon's Eleni Lazaridou.
Liveta Ezerskis dropped her opening match in the round of 128, but entered the consolation bracket, advancing through two byes before falling to Lake Forest's Anya Mookencherry, 8-5, in the round of 32.
Kate Herlihy opened her tournament strong with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Hanover's Madelyn Santner in the round of 128. Herlihy was then eliminated in the round of 64 by University of Chicago's Lily Zawaneh, 6-1, 6-2.
For doubles action,
Abigail Penados and
Kensington Payne teamed up for an 8-7 (7-5) win over Lake Forest's Anya Mookencherry and Avelynn Wen before conceding in the round of 16 to Washington University's Samantha Slowik and Lily Brecknock, 8-3. The Cardinal duo,
Kate Herlihy and
Liveta Ezerskis also secured a first-round victory, defeating Principia College's Saray Cisneros Hernandez and Kimberly Peterson, 8-3, but were stopped in the round of 32 by University of Chicago's Lily Zawaneh and Lauren Khou, 8–0.
North Central returns to College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play on Oct. 1, traveling to face Wheaton College. First serve is set for 4 p.m. at the Wheaton Tennis Courts.
