Tennis climbing in the Midwest Conference ranks

By: Ian Van Anden
Sports Editor

The Monmouth women’s tennis team continued their home winning streak this past week. On Thursday, Sept. 21, the team faced St. Ambrose University and then on Friday, Sept. 22, they faced Ripon College.

The Scots trounced St. Ambrose 6-3 on Thursday and then defeated Ripon 7-2 on Friday.

The Scots won five of the six singles competitions and two of the three doubles competitions against Ripon. The team’s number one singles player, sophomore Cassandra Frantz, won her match easily over her opponent 6-2 and 6-2. Her victory was never in doubt as she never trailed her opponent.

Frantz, for the second time in her young career, was named a Midwest Conference Performer of the Week on Sept. 26. She has been unbeaten in singles competition this week. On the year, Frantz is 5-4 due to a slow start.

Sophomore Brittany Donnelly played even better than Frantz, if that is considered possible. Donnelly beat her Ripon opponent 6-1 and 6-2. She never left any doubts as to the outcome of the match. Donnelly’s forehands and backhands out-matched her Ripon opponent.

Donnelly was another potential candidate for a Midwest Conference Performer of the Week. She went 2-1 in doubles competition and 5-1 overall, and that mark was matched only by Frantz.

Donnelly and Frantz did not perform well together in the doubles competition. The two singles standouts struggled as a team and were the only MC unit to fall to Ripon. The pair fell by a score of 8-5.

Seniors Sara Yerks and Holly Trotter teamed up to dominate their doubles competition against Ripon. The tandem beat their Ripon foes 8-3. Both Yerks and Trotter won their singles competition. Yerks won her match 6-1 and 6-2; Trotter was equally as impressive, taking her singles match 6-2 and 6-1.

Junior Rachel Atherton was the lone Scots performer to lose in singles competition. She came back and teamed up with sophomore Maddy Ethington to win their doubles competition 8-4.

Sophomore Karen Skadow looked solid in her singles competition, defeating her Ripon opponent 6-4 and 6-1.

Earlier on Thursday, Sept. 21, MC faced St. Ambrose University. The Scots once again came out on top.

Again Frantz and Donnelly looked solid, both winning their singles matches. The pair then teamed up once again and this time won their doubles match by a dominating 8-1 score.

Although the team struggled in singles, MC dominated the doubles competition. Donnelly and Frantz were the only two MC winners in the singles events, but that was not true in doubles.

Trotter and Yerks once again won their doubles events 8-2. Atherton and Ethington also won their doubles bout 8-7 and 7-2.

Next on the Scots’ schedule is Illinois College, who they will face on Thursday, Oct. 5. The Scots will host Illinois College at the Monmouth hard courts on the north end of campus at 3 p.m.