GRANVILLE, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's tennis team prevailed in a closely-contested North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament championship match, downing Denison University for the Owls' 20th NCAC Tournament Championship in program history. Kenyon clinched the crown by a score of 5-3, taking two doubles matches and three singles bouts.

It was the second time in 11 days that the No. 32-ranked Owls beat nationally-ranked Denison on their home courts in Granville. Kenyon beat the Big Red, who were ranked No. 22 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) rankings at the time, 6-3 on April 11. Denison moved up to No. 19 in the national rankings ahead of this matchup. Kenyon's victory kept the Owls unbeaten over their last five outings, and their overall record improved to 18-4 this season.

The Owls opened the Championship by taking two of three doubles matches. Kenyon's top duo of Eleni Lazaridou and Allaire Berl cruised to an 8-2 victory to start the match, but Denison's No. 2 duo of Monique Brual and Caroline Lopez downed Eleni Dakos and Shadia Amado Aguad 8-5 to even the score. A few minutes later, Natalie Connelly and Catriona MacIntosh put the Owls back on top 2-1 with a competitive 8-6 decision in the No. 3 doubles bout.

Lazaridou increased Kenyon's lead to 3-1 with a 6-2, 6-4 win in the No. 1 singles spot. Lopez cut the Owls' edge to 3-2 with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Dakos at No. 4, but Amado Aguad kept the back-and-forth dual tilted in Kenyon's favor from the No. 3 spot. The first-year bounced back from losing the first set 6-4 with a 6-3 set-two victory, and she completed the comeback with a 6-4 win in the deciding third set. 

Amado Aguad's win pulled Kenyon within one point of clinching the dual, but the Big Red continued to battle back. Kenyon's Berl went toe-to-toe with Denison's Sarah Robertson at No. 2, but Robertson prevailed 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. With a 4-3 edge and two singles matches remaining, MacIntosh closed out the Owls' victory in the No. 6 bout. The senior secured a 6-1, 6-3 sweep that clinched Kenyon's NCAC Tournament Championship, 5-3.

By winning the NCAC title, Kenyon receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament. The 2023 NCAA DIII Women's Tennis Championships will take place from May 14-22 in Orlando, Florida, at the USTA National Campus, where the Owls spent their spring break.