On March 24, Southwestern hosted the top-ranked NCAA Division III women's tennis team in the nation, winning three matches in a 6-3 loss to the eventual national championship runner-up University of Chicago.
"I thought it was the best match we played all year, losing 6-3 in a match that could have just as easily gone 5-4 either way," Southwestern head tennis coach Billy Porter says. "The women played fearlessly in not succumbing to the hype. Even though we lost, it showed them how close we are to being a top-10 team."
Southwestern ended the spring of 2021 ranked No. 10 after a historic run to the Elite Eight in the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance. When Southwestern returned a stellar junior class that featured six of its eight lineup fixtures and a promising first-year class, the Pirates appeared ready to build on that momentum.
Nina Mitrofanova and first-year Lydia Lee immediately flashed chemistry playing No. 1 doubles against scholarship programs at the Angelo State Slamfest.
"Lydia had no idea how good of a doubles player she was, then she and Nina hit it off right away," Porter says. "They didn't win [at the Slamfest], but you could see it was clicking. They quickly developed a friendship off the court."
Doubles, a longstanding weakness for Southwestern until last season, continued to be a strength when Mitrofanova and Lee met Emma Kesterson and Alli Ziehm in all-Southwestern championship doubles match at the ITA Fall Regionals.
Kesterson and Ziehm, whose late-season pairing at No. 3 doubles in 2021 helped spur Southwestern to its first conference championship, won the match 6-4, 6-4 to become the second All-American doubles pairing in program history.
"It was extraordinary to have an all-Southwestern doubles final. It's one of the most simultaneously excruciating and satisfying moments a coach can experience," Porter says. "Doubles is an area we've worked very hard at, so it was cool to see. To have a pairing that isn't your spotlight players, who played No. 3 doubles last year, win and become All-Americans shows you how deep we are."
Southwestern left its fall season with four nationally-ranked players. Kesterson and Ziehm earned a No. 10 ranking, while Mitrofanova and Lee ranked 19. In singles, Kesterson and Lee made surprising runs in the ITA Regional to finish No. 39 and 50.
The Pirates opened the spring season with three consecutive losses to scholarship programs, starting with a 4-3 loss to NCAA Division II University of Texas at Tyler in the season opener that showcased Southwestern's level of respect.
"When a nationally-ranked Division II team does a dogpile after beating a Division III team, I think it's a testament to how much respect we've earned and how we played," Porter says.
An injury to Kesterson in the following exhibition against the University of Texas at Rio Grande Valley allowed Taylor Despriet to play No. 2 singles in an exhibition against Tarleton State. The match set the stage for a breakout season for Despriet. After being in and out of the singles lineup a year ago, Despriet posted an 11-5 record, including an 8-4 record at No. 2 singles, to earn All-SCAC First Team.
When Southwestern traveled to Ohio to face No. 12 Denison and No. 4 Kenyon, Despriet helped Southwestern to two wins with a pair of singles victories, including the clinch against Kenyon to hand the Ladies only their second home loss in five years.
"Taylor moved up against Tarleton State when Emma got hurt and lost, but we noticed she plays better when she played up," Porter recalls. "Then being able to go to Kenyon and win was so special. Their facility is immaculate. You walk in, and they have that board with decades of conference championships. The reaction Taylor had after clinching, that match is why you come to Southwestern to play."
Ziehm's leadership as a third-year team captain set the tone for the season. After not playing singles as a freshman and breaking into the lineup last year, Ziehm went undefeated against NCAA Division III teams this season, going 9-1 to earn All-SCAC Second Team. In addition, her toughness was infectious, playing through an ankle injury late.
"Alli is the glue of the team. She didn't lose a DIII match all year. She's a competitor who knows how to win," Porter says. "Her leadership is second to none. Alli is one of the toughest women I've ever coached, and our women's team has a reputation as one of the toughest teams in the country."
After two home wins over LeTourneau and Whitman, Southwestern won another match over a ranked opponent, defeating No. 19 Skidmore.
Kesterson also thrived after the lineup change, compiling a 10-5 record, including 6-3 at No. 3 singles, to earn All-SCAC First Team.
Mitrofanova was key in wins over Denison and Skidmore, posting 6-0, 6-2, and 6-0, 6-4 wins. She also represented Southwestern in the Ojai, winning the singles championship and finishing as the runner-up in doubles. With a 10-5 record at No. 1 singles, Mitrofanova won the SCAC Player of the Year.
"Nina is so driven, and she wants to win so bad. This season was tough because she didn't get that signature DIII win we all expected," Porter says. "Denison sat their No. 1 player, which made our team numbers easier but didn't help her resume. But this year, she fully committed herself to be a team player and put a lot of emphasis on being a fantastic teammate."
Not all progress or success, however, is linear. Southwestern suffered a loss to No. 12 Mary Washington, then after defeating Ozarks, lost to No. 1 Chicago.
"I think the Mary Washington loss really hurt us. We aren't used to losing that match," Porter says. "Good teams make surges, and we did that on all courts, but Mary Washington did enough to hold us off to get the win."
Lee, who had a stellar fall in the ITA Regional, had an up and down spring in singles, posting an 8-5 singles record, even as her doubles work shined with an 11-6 record alongside Mitrofanova to earn All-SCAC First Team in doubles.
"The hard part was we saw her become such a better doubles player as the year progressed and her singles struggled," Porter says. "It was hard for her having the utmost confidence in doubles and a pattern of inconsistencies in singles, though she did salvage some wins over spring break."
In April, Freshman Lauren Chisholm broke through in the singles lineup, winning 10 of 11 matches, including 6-1 at No. 4 singles. She also excelled in doubles with Despriet, ending the season with a 10-3 record as a tandem.
"A new thing I did this year was having everyone send me a mock lineup of where they thought everyone belonged. Lauren put herself pretty high in the singles lineup, and her teammates didn't have her in the top eight," Porter says. "That was a tough conversation to have. At the same time, as much confidence as she had in her singles, I had all the belief in her doubles."
Chisholm arrived on campus as a boom or bust talent, capable of going head-to-head with some of the best talents in Division III but lost in some of the fundamentals that can cost matches at the collegiate level.
"Lauren arrived with a typical junior tennis mindest of having to finish points herself. Going to Ohio and watching that level of DIII tennis and focusing on her shot tolerance really helped her learn how to have her opponent win points for her," Porter says. "Taylor played a big role in helping Lauren this year. Taylor plays a smart tennis style, and Lauren learned from Taylor's leadership and ran with it."
Southwestern ran through April and the conference portion of the regular season, winning six of seven with the lone defeat against NCAA Division II St. Mary's. The Pirates made quick work of Texas Lutheran and Colorado College to open the SCAC Tournament but were stunned by Trinity in doubles, ultimately losing 5-0 in the championship match.
"It was an awful feeling to lose. We relied a little too much on what worked for us all year, and Trinity had a better game plan than we did," Porter says. "They knew we play defensive tennis and came out hyper-aggressive."
If the Chicago loss showed how close Southwestern is to competing against top-five teams, the Trinity loss reminds us how slim the margin of error is to get there. Nevertheless, Southwestern will return all of its starters, including a trio of All-Americans, and new resolve.
"I think having this roster feel the pain of losing like this for the first time is a wake-up call for our players and coaches," Porter says of a junior class that won one championship and had another wiped out by COVID in its first two years. "All 11 women were in tears after that match. That's how much they love this program. I've never coached a team that gets along so well. Now, they're extremely hungry."