Stefanova, Holst Win in Singles but Scots Drop Pair on Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill (09/14/2024) — The Monmouth College women's tennis team lost a pair of Midwest Conference matches in Iowa on Saturday. The Scots fell 7-0 at Grinnell at 5-2 at Cornell.

In the opening match against defending MWC champion Grinnell, Ivana Stefanova (Streamwood, Illinois) and Natalie Labicki (Antioch, Illinois) teamed at #1 doubles with a 6-3 loss. Jennifer Shimmin (Monmouth, Illinois) and Kimber Calvert (Paris, Illinois) lost 6-2 at #2 doubles while Natalie Holst (East Moline, Illinois) and Alayna McKinley (Rock Island, Illinois) lost 6-3 at #3 doubles.

Stefanova lost at #1 singles with a 10-6 tiebreak loss after splitting the first two sets. She won the second set 6-4 to force the tiebreak. Labicki kist 6-2, 6-0 at #2 singles.Calvert lost 6-6, 6-0 at #3 with Holst falling 6-2, 6-2 at #4. McKinley lost 6-2, 6-0 at #5 and Madison Springer (Galesburg, Illinois) lost her first collegiate singles match 6-0, 6-1 at #6.

In the afternoon match at Cornell, Stefanova and Labicki won 7-5 at #1 doubles. However, the Rams took the doubles point with wins of 6-2 and 7-5 at the other two doubles matches.

Stefanova won at #1 singles with a 10-4 win in the tiebreak after the first two sets were split. Labicki lost 6-2, 6-4 at #2 singles and Clavert lost 6-1, 6-0 at #3. Shimmin lost 6-2, 6-1 at #4 while Holst won her second match of the season 6-1, 7-6 (2) at #5 singles. McKinley lost 6-0, 6-0 at #6

The Scots return to Iowa next Saturday for a non-conference match at St.. Ambrose. The Scots play at home against both Lawrence and Ripon in MWC action on Saturday, Sept. 28.