From Case Western Reserve University Athletics
The Case Western Reserve University women's tennis team, ranked 19th in Division III, wrapped up the first day of competition at the Midwest Invitational on Friday, falling 8-1 to eighth-ranked University of Chicago in the early match, but defeating 30th-ranked Denison University 7-2 in the second match of the day.
The Spartans' lone win during the early match came at first doubles, where junior Nithya Kanagasegar and sophomore Jessica Liu defeated Chicago's Marjorie Antohi and Rachel Kim 8-6. Antohi and Kim are the third-ranked doubles pairing in the Central Region.
The loss was the third for the Spartans, who fell to 12-3 overall in 2017. The Maroons improved to 10-3 overall with the win.
In the second match of the day against Denison, the Spartans claimed wins in two of the three doubles matches to take a 2-1 lead over the Big Red. Claiming wins for the Spartans were the no. 2 doubles pairing of junior Peyton Young and freshman Kendal Holladay, 8-5 over Charlotte Purnode and Olivia Underwood, and the no. 3 doubles duo of junior Nina Cepeda and freshman Katrin Gurvich, 8-3 over Carol Vitellas and Ashley Hammons. CWRU's lone doubles setback in the match came in the first match, with Kanagasegar and Liu falling 8-5 to Lauren Hawley and Emma Alsup.
Kanagasegar defeated Hawley at first singles in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. The Spartans next two wins also came in straight sets at third and fourth singles. Holladay picked up a 6-2, 6-1 win over Hammons at third singles, and Cepeda claimed a 6-0, 6-3 victory over Purnode in the fourth match. Rounding out the slate of victories for the Spartans were Young over Vitellas, 6-1, 6-2 at fifth singles, and Gurvich, 6-1, 6-1 over Underwood in the sixth singles match. Liu took the lone loss for the Spartans, losing to Alsup in three sets, 3-6, 6-2, 10-7.
With the win, the Spartans improved to 13-3 on the campaign, while Denison dropped to 6-8 on the season.