Contact: Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Sept. 30, 2026) – After falling in her opening singles match at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Midwest Regional Championships on Saturday, Kate Herlihy rattled off three wins to earn a spot in the consolation semifinal, helping her earn College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Player of the Week honors for the week of September 20.

The honor marks the first weekly award in Herlihy's career. She's a senior out of Long Grove, Illinois, who attended Stevenson High School.

Herlihy went 4-2 in singles play during the week between the ITA tournament and a Wednesday dual with Wheaton College. In doubles, she collected a 2-1 mark, good for a 6-3 record in the nine matches she participated in.

Against Wheaton, Herlihy and her doubles partner Berkley Klarich took home a 6-2 win. Herlihy then earned the lone point of the match for the Cardinals (who fell 6-1) with a 0-6, 7-5, 1-0 comeback win in the number two singles slot.

In doubles play at the ITA Regional Championships, Herlihy and Klarich won their opening round match 8-1, but fell in the second round 8-2.

Herlihy had a slow start in singles at the three-day event. She dropped her opening match in three sets. She was then given a win via an injury in the consolation round of 32. Herlihy proceeded to cruise over the next two matches. She won 6-1, 6-1 in her consolation round of 16 contest, then took care of business against CCIW foe Amber Ehrlich of Illinois Wesleyan University, 6-4, 6-1. Herlihy's stampede through the consolation was cut down in the semifinals, where she lost to a top player in the region, Sydney Wszolek of Denison University, 6-3, 6-2.

Herlihy owns a 5-3 record in singles play this season and a 3-2 mark in doubles.

The Cardinals are next in action a week from today, on October 7 in Kenosha, where they'll take on CCIW preseason favorite Carthage College.