Contact: Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu
ORLANDO, Fla. (March 8, 2026) – After suffering its first loss of the season on Friday, the North Central Women's Tennis program got back to its winning ways, defeating Dickinson College in the penultimate match of its spring break swing through Florida, 5-2.
The victory was North Central's (12-1) 12th of the year, bringing the team to within one win of matching its 13-1 start in 2023-24.
The Cardinals swept their way through doubles. Kensington Payne and Abigail Penados won their match 6-4, while Liveta Ezerskis and Kate Herlihy swept their contest 6-0. Sophia Drozd and Meghan McSweeney finished off the sweep with a 6-3 victory over their opponents.
Penados found herself in a dogfight at the top of the Cardinals' lineup against Dickinson's (4-3) Jenna Crain. Penados took the first set 6-2, but Crain forced a third set with a 6-4 second set win. Penados bounced back in the third set, taking the tie-breaking race to 10 over Crain.
Payne dropped a nail-biter to Dickinson's Alisa Steele. Payne and Steele played to a 6-6 stalemate, with Payne winning the tie-breaking game to take the set 7-6. Steele went on to win the second set 6-3, giving the Red Devils their first point of the match.
Ezerskis won her match in the third spot in the lineup, winning 6-3, 6-2. Herlihy joined her in victory, claiming a three-set victory over Merve Uyumazturk. After falling in the opening set 6-1, Herilhy grabbed a win in the second set 6-4, forcing a tiebreaker set. Herilhy took it home, giving North Central its third singles victory on the morning.
Meghan McSweeny also pulled off a comeback in her singles contest. McSweeny lost the opening set 6-3, but bounced back to the tune of a 6-4 win in the second set and a victory in the third set.
Ezerskis' win was her 10th dual victory of the season, all from the number three slot. Herilhy improved to 12-1 on the season with her win, while Penados did the same.
The Cardinals will finish their Florida slate tomorrow at 1 p.m. against Ohio Northern University.
