GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College women's tennis team welcomed Otterbein University to Gambier on Sunday afternoon for the Owls' home opener, and Kenyon defended its home courts with a 6-1 win at the Jasper Tennis Center. The victory marked a seventh straight win for the No. 20-ranked Owls, who improved to 8-3 overall this season.

The visiting Cardinals (9-2) proved to be a tough test for the top of the Owls lineup, especially as Kenyon was without its No. 1 singles and doubles threat. However, the Owls leaned on their depth to defend their home-court advantage, winning every match outside of the No. 1 singles and doubles flights to clinch the victory.

Doubles competition consisted of three quick offerings as every match was a lopsided result. The Owls cruised to a pair of 6-0 sweeps in the Nos. 2 and 3 matches that wrapped up at nearly the exact same time, clinching the best-of-three doubles point. Shadia Amado Aguad and Clare Hudson handled the No. 2 match, while Lalasa Nagireddy and Maggie Shope secured the No. 3 win.

Otterbein kept Kenyon from going 3-for-3, however, as Erin Storrer and Lillia Walter, the No. 9-ranked doubles team in the ITA's Central Region, posted a 6-1 win over Ana Brand and Hana Nouaime in the No. 1 bout.

Both Brand and Nouaime bounced back in a big way in singles, however, as the pair posted Kenyon's first two solo wins. Brand notched the first point with a quick 6-1, 6-0 victory in the second singles flight, while Nouaime followed up a few minutes later with a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 4.

Hudson had the next finish in the No. 3 bout, battling for a 6-3 set-one win before closing out the sweep with a 6-0 second stanza. Despite having to wait for a court to open up, Nagireddy was next up at No. 5, winning 6-1, 6-0.

The top singles matchup took nearly two hours to finish as Amado Aguad and Storrer went back and forth. Storrer set the tone with a 6-4 victory in the first set, but Amado Aguad bounced back with a dominant 6-1 set-two win to force a deciding third frame. However, the comeback came up short as Storrer secured Otterbein's lone point with another 6-4 decision, winning 6-4, 1-6, 6-4.

Elizabeth Ackermann added the final page to Kenyon's home-opening win, posting the team's sixth point with a 6-3, 6-0 win in the No. 6 match.

The Owls have a tough weekend on deck and will put their seven-match winning streak to the test against a pair of ranked opponents. Kenyon will make the short trip up towards Cleveland, Ohio, to take on No. 15 Case Western Reserve University and No. 21 Bowdoin College at CWRU's home facility, the Mayfield Village Racquet Club in Mayfield, Ohio.