WMVO Good Times Great Oldies
GAMBIER, Ohio — The Kenyon College women’s tennis team (12-5, 5-0 NCAC) continued its conference dominance on a beautiful Sunday afternoon on the outdoor courts of their home Jasper Tennis Center, sweeping Oberlin College (7-8, 3-2 NCAC) 7-0 in North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) action. The victory extends Kenyon’s remarkable streak to 37 consecutive regular-season NCAC wins, which dates back to the 2014-15 season with their last conference loss coming, coincidentally, against Oberlin.
Now perfect in NCAC play, the No. 26-ranked Owls have just one more conference match against The College of Wooster and a non-conference match against No. 9-ranked Carnegie Mellon University on the schedule before the NCAC Tournament begins. With a win at Wooster, the Owls would wrap up an undefeated conference record and clinch sole possession of a third straight regular-season NCAC Championship.
Playing at home for the final time this regular season, the Owls set the tone early with a commanding performance in doubles play. The top duo of Eleni Lazaridou and Hana Nouaime cruised to a 6-0 victory at No. 1 doubles, while Shadia Amado Aguad and Clare Hudson matched that effort with their own 6-0 win at No. 2. Lalasa Nagireddy and Ana Brand completed the doubles sweep at No. 3, defeating Olivia Wollner and Scarlett Kingston 6-3.
In singles competition, the Owls were equally impressive, winning all six matches in straight sets. Lazaridou led the way at No. 1 singles with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 victory over Anna Pastore. At No. 2, Amado Aguad continued her strong play with a 6-3, 6-0 win against Rachel Allen.
Brand dominated at No. 3 singles, allowing her opponent Freya Rahm to win just one game in a 6-0, 6-1 rout. Hudson was perfect at No. 4, shutting out Scarlett Kingston 6-0, 6-0, while Nouaime followed suit at No. 5 with a 6-0, 6-1 win over Wollner. Elizabeth Ackermann rounded out the singles sweep at No. 6, dispatching Hannah Soong 6-1, 6-1.
While the win continues Kenyon’s unblemished conference record this season, it also extends their historic dominance in the NCAC, where they haven’t lost a regular-season match in nearly a decade. The remarkable consistency across multiple seasons demonstrates the program’s excellence and status as the premier tennis team in the conference and at the Division III level. The Owls have positioned themselves as the clear favorites heading into the NCAC Tournament, where they will be looking for a third straight NCAC Tournament Championship.
The Owls’ next matchup is set for next Friday, April 18, on the road against the Wooster Fighting Scots at 4:30 p.m. If the talented Owls maintain their dominance, they could be poised for a long postseason run.
