WOOSTER, Ohio -- After waiting out a bye in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Tournament, the Kenyon College women's tennis team quickly advanced to the finals with a speedy 5-0 win in a semifinal matchup against DePauw University.
The Owls entered the dual with a target on their backs, coming in as the reigning regular-season NCAC Champions, the defending NCAC Tournament Champions, and a No. 24 ranking in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's (ITA) NCAA Division III poll. Additionally, DePauw had momentum heading into the day after a 5-0 sweep of The College of Wooster, the tournament hosts, on Friday. However, Kenyon shut down any hopes of an upset, and the No. 1-seeded Owls took care of business against the No. 4-seeded Tigers.
The defending champions set the tone in doubles, sweeping the three matches by a combined score of 24-10. Kenyon's Nos. 2 and 3 duos posted matching 8-3 wins, but Eleni Dakos and Shadia Amado Aguad put the first point on the board in the second spot. Kenyon's top pairing was next to finish, as Eleni Lazaridou and Allaire Berl won 8-4. The No. 3 combination of Lalasa Nagireddy and Ana Brand secured the doubles sweep, putting the Owls up 3-0 heading into singles play.
Kenyon needed just two singles wins to clinch the best-of-nine dual, and the top of the Owls lineup quickly came through. Lazaridou landed the first victory, cruising to a flawless 6-0, 6-0 sweep in the No. 1 spot. Amado Aguad finished shortly after, whipping up a 6-1, 6-1 win to clinch Kenyon's 5-0 victory.
The Owls will face a familiar foe in tomorrow's NCAC Tournament Championship, as Kenyon will battle Denison University in the league finale for a third straight season. The Owls ousted the Big Red 5-3 to claim 2023's crown after falling 5-3 in 2022. Denison, ranked No. 26 in the ITA rankings and the tournament's No. 2 seed, earned a shot at the championship by beating Wittenberg University 5-1 in the bracket's other semifinal matchup. The Owls beat Denison 8-1 a few weeks ago on April 17, and Kenyon holds a 40-31 edge in the all-time series between the teams.
The time for tomorrow's NCAC Tournament Championship is still being finalized due to weather considerations, but teams are likely heading for a 10:30 a.m. start.
Â
