GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's tennis team welcomed a pair of opponents to Gambier on Sunday, and the Owls dominated both duals at the Jasper Tennis Center's indoor courts. Kenyon dispatched Otterbein University and Earlham College with a pair of 9-0 sweeps to stay unbeaten at home.
No. 18-ranked Kenyon got back to .500 with the wins, improving to 5-5 this season. Otterbein, the Owls' opening opponent, fell to 6-4, while Earlham dropped to 2-7. The Owls outscored their opponents 192-22 over the back-to-back duals, including conceding just one game against the Quakers, and Kenyon won all 12 singles matches in straight sets.
The home team's toughest tests came from Otterbein's top doubles and singles options. However, Eleni Lazaridou was up to the task, pairing with Allaire Berl for an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles before battling for a win in the top singles spot. The sophomore grinded out a 6-4 set-one win before pulling away and securing the sweep with a 6-2 set-two victory.
Berl had a strong showing against the Cardinals, following up her doubles win with a flawless 6-0, 6-0 sweep in the No. 2 singles spot. The sophomore moved up to No. 1 against the Quakers, where she paired with Eleni Dakos for an 8-0 sweep in the top doubles match. Berl won 6-1, 6-0 in the No. 1 singles match to complete her 4-0 day. The game that went Earlham's way in the first set was the only game that the Owls conceded to the Quakers in the match.
Three other Owls picked up a pair of wins in each end of the doubleheader. Shadia Amado Aguad posted a perfect 16-0 score across two No. 2 doubles matches, teaming up with Dakos against the Cardinals and Lalasa Nagireddy against the Quakers. The sophomore was nearly perfect in singles, winning 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 against Otterbein before a 6-0, 6-0 sweep of the No. 2 match against Earlham. Nagireddy and Brand also went 4-0, starting with an 8-2 win as Kenyon's No. 3 doubles duo against Otterbein. Brand was a flawless 24-0 across her two singles wins, including the No. 5 bout against Otterbein and the No. 3 match against Earlham. Nagireddy won at No. 6 singles in the first dual before moving up to No. 4 in the second contest.
Brand's first-year teammates helped seal the deal against Earlham. Madeline Chappars paired with Brand for an 8-0 win at No. 3 doubles before sweeping her No. 5 singles match 6-0, 6-0. Lauren Dell'Acqua rounded out the commanding win in the No. 6 singles matchup, winning 6-0, 6-0.
Kenyon is only halfway through a four-dual homestand after today's results. The Owls are back in action on Friday, March 29, when No. 18 Kenyon looks to defend its home court against No. 19 Case Western Reserve University. After that ranked matchup, the Owls open their North Coast Athletic Conference slate as defending champions on Wednesday, April 3, when they welcome The College of Wooster.
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