Tennis Drops Pair on Saturday

by Nathan Baliva

MONMOUTH, Ill. (09/06/2026) — The Monmouth College women's tennis team played two home matches on Saturday with a 5-2 loss to Loras and a 4-3 loss to Millikin.

Against Loras, Senior Ivana Stefanova (Streamwood, Illinois) moved to 2-0 on the season in singles with a 6-0, 6-3 win. Freshman Jenny Nelson (Wentzville, Missouri) won the opening set at No. 2 singles but ultimately fell in a tiebreaker. Kimber Calvert (Paris, Illinois) and Tiah Riggs (Vincennes, Indiana) lost 6-3 at No. 2 doubles. At No. 5 singles, Delaney Albarram (Chicago, Illinois) lost 6-4, 6-0 and Korryn Keehner (Staunton, Illinois) fell 6-2, 6-2 at No. 6.

Monmouth won the doubles points against the Duhawks. Stefanova and Nelson won at No. 1 doubles with a 7-2 win in a tiebreaker. Calvert and Riggs won 6-2 at No. 2 doubles while Albarram and Alayna McKinley (Rock Island, Illinois) lost 6-1 at No. 3.

Against Millikin in the afternoon match, Stefanova won at No. 1 singles, 6-0, 6-1. Nelson picked up her first college win at No. 2 with a 6-2, 6-3 win. Riggs won 7-5, 6-2 at No. 4. Millikin took wins at No. 3, No. 5 and No. 6.

The doubles points went to Millikin as they won at No. 1 6-4 and No. 3 6-1. Calvert and Riggs won at No. 2 for Monmouth, 7-5.

"It was a long hot day but the team competed well and we definitely raised the level of our game compared to last year," said head coach Brian Dahlstrom. "A couple matches could have gone either way and it was great to see Jenny get her first win and Ivana had a terrific day against good competition."

MONMOUTH MOMENTS: With her 32nd and 33rd career singles win, Stefanova is third on the Monmouth career singles wins listShe also avenged one of her previous singles losses with the singles win against Loras.Nelson earned her first career win with the doubles win over Loras and then picked up her first career singles win as wellRiggs got her first singles win of the season and combined with Calvert for their first doubles winThe Scots start conference play next Saturday with a match at Ripon.