The 25th ranked Denison women's tennis team kicked off its indoor schedule with a 7-2 win over regionally ranked Hope College in Holland, Mich. on Saturday afternoon. The Big Red won five of six singles matches and two of three doubles points, resulting in the five-point win.
Both doubles points came from DU's first and second flight teams. At No. 1, Taylor Hawkins and Meg Chiumento defeated Nancy Benda and Marie Holaway, 8-5. In the second flight, Lauren Hawley and Courtney Brown topped Anna Garcia and Amanda Susnak, 8-3.
In singles play, Hawley picked up a big three-set win over the region's eighth-ranked player, Benda. Hawley dispatched Benda, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. At No. 2 singles, Brown topped Garcia, 6-2, 7-5 while Hawkins made short work of Kate Mader, 6-2, 6-4 at No. 3. In the fourth and fifth flights, Chiumento and Emma Alsup earned straight-set victories for the Big Red.
Denison entered the match ranked fifth in the Central Region rankings while Hope was ranked seventh. The Big Red will return to action on Friday, Feb. 12 when they take on Division II, Indiana (Pa.) at 6:30 p.m. in Pittsburgh, Pa.
