WOOSTER, Ohio (May 4, 2024) – The second-seeded Denison University women's tennis advanced to the championship match of the 2024 North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament for the third year in a row after a 5-1 victory over third-seeded Wittenberg University in the semifinal round on Saturday. It was the second year in a row Denison defeated Wittenberg by a score of 5-1 in the NCAC semifinals and will be the third year in a row the Big Red will face Kenyon College in the title match.
Kendall Schrader and
Caroline Lopez, the No. 8-ranked pair in the Central Region by the ITA, won 8-1 at No. 2 doubles while
Caroline Kittle and
Peyton Oda won 8-0 at No. 3 doubles.
Unfortunately,
Dasha Chistyakova and
Maia Nowicki fell in a tiebreaker, 8-7 (9-7), at No. 1 doubles.
In singles, Kittle won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3 singles, Lopez won 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4 singles, and Nowicki won 6-0, 6-2 at No. 5 singles.
Denison improved to 17-8 overall with the win while Wittenberg, which had won five straight matches coming in, fell to 14-5. It is the second-straight 17-win season for the Big Red.
With an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Team Championship on the line, Denison will match up against top-seeded Kenyon College starting at 12 p.m. on Sunday, May 5. Kenyon is ranked No. 24 in the latest ITA National Poll while Denison checks in at No. 26. During the first meeting this season between Denison and Kenyon back on April 17, it was the Owls who came out on top by a score of 8-1 over the Big Red.
