Contact: Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Sept. 29, 2026) – The North Central College women's tennis team resumed its College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) slate on Tuesday. The Cardinals opened their brief home schedule by hosting Illinois Wesleyan University, dropping a 4-3 nail-biter to fall to 1-3 in CCIW play.
In doubles, Illinois Wesleyan (3-3, 2-2 CCIW) claimed the point with a pair of victories, first in the number three slot, and then in the number one position. Alexandra Zaskowski and Abigail Heintz fell 6-1 in the number three contest, while the duo of Kate Herlihy and Berkley Klarich dropped a 6-3 contest from the number one slot.
The team of Meghan McSweeney and Anais Gerard earned a 6-3 victory to salvage the sweep in the number two contest.
McSweeney evened the match at one with a victory in the number three singles contest. After winning the opening set 6-3, she built a lead up to 4-1 in the second before her opponent retired due to injury.
The Titans regained the lead with a straight-set victory in the number six match, as Heintz fell in a 6-1, 6-0 affair.
North Central (1-3, 1-3) continued her string of solid play from the number two spot. After winning by the slimmest of margins in the first set (7-6), Herlihy put the pedal to the metal in the second, dominating her way to a 6-0 second-set win to win the match in straight sets.
Klarich found herself in a three-set match from the top spot in coach Joey Leto's lineup. After falling 6-2 in the opening set, she bounced back to win the second 6-4. Klarich's momentum was stifled, however, as she was unable to overcome an early deficit in the third set, losing 6-0.
Illinois Wesleyan's Olivia Bell clinched the match for the Titans from the number five spot in the lineup. After Zaskowski fought tooth and nail to earn a 7-6 opening set win, Bell responded with consecutive 6-1 victories in both the second and third sets to earn the Titans' fourth point in the dual.
Gerard won her match in the number four singles slot after losing the opening set 7-6. She dominated the second set 6-1, and kept her momentum going in the decisive third set to win 6-2 and improve to 5-3 on the young season in singles play.
The Cardinals are next in action on Wednesday, October 7, when they travel North to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to take on CCIW favorite Carthage College for an afternoon match.
