Southwestern Women's Tennis was defeated by the University of Chicago on March 17, 2023 but defeated Sul Ross on the same day. The Pirates put up a huge fight but fell to Chicago at their home courts, 1-8. This was a tough battle. Shortly after, at 5:00pm, the Pirates got a 9-0 victory against Sul Ross.
While playing Chicago, the Pirates got down 0-3. All of the Southwestern teams had good energy but did not quite match the level that Chicago was performing at. Although doubles did not end in favor of the Pirates, they entered singles with high energy and positivity.
The Pirates entered singles ready to battle. Nina Mitrofanova at line one and Emma Kesterson at line two were playing a very high level of tennis, fighting to the bitter end. While they did not win their matches, both of these seniors, Kesterson and Mitrofanova, were increasing the positive energy among the whole team. They cheered for each other and everyone else on the court. Sophomore Lydia Lee had an extremely impressive match at line five, winning in a third set tie break (10-5). After losing the first set, Lee had a determination to win the second set and win the match. Lee's final score was 3-6, 6-3, 10-5.
While the Pirates were defeated by the University of Chicago, it was nothing to hang their heads over. After the long week of matches and not much recovery time, the women's tennis team gave Chicago a run for their money. None of the matches were won easily.
After the loss to Chicago, the Pirates had a beautiful 9-0 win over Sul Ross. The Pirates performed exceptionally well and were able to get the wins they needed quickly.
During doubles against Sul Ross, the Pirates quickly got the lead 3-0. Lauren Chisholm and Sydney Wahl had a nearly flawless performance in doubles together.
With high confidence entering singles, the Pirates knew they needed to keep their foot on the gas and not let up. Captain Erika Synoski battled and won quickly at line three singles! Synoski's positive energy on court was contagious as she cheered on everyone else playing. Synoski gained the Pirates' fourth point. Freshman Daryl Locke had a speedy win at line four singles, clinching the match for the Pirates.
The win over Sul Ross was a good confidence boost following the loss to the University of Chicago. The Pirates performed well and are looking forward to the conference tournament.
Be sure to mark your calendars for the Conference Tournament which will be held at your very own Southwestern University on April 28-30, at the Pirates' home courts!