Box Score (vs. Alverno)
Box Score (vs. Wis. Lutheran)
MADISON, Wis. – The path to the Edgewood College women's tennis team's fifth straight conference title is now clear. Win their final four matches Northern Athletics Conference matches, and the Eagles will fill up one entire hand counting their titles. The Eagles cleared a big hurdle on Saturday with a 6-3 victory over defending NAC Tournament champions Wisconsin Lutheran College at Rennebohm Park. The Eagles also defeated Alverno College 9-0 earlier in the day.
The showdown between Edgewood College (8-1, 7-0 NAC) and Wisconsin Lutheran College (7-3, 6-1 NAC) had been brewing since the Warriors knocked off the Eagles last spring to claim an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament, something the Eagles had owned for the previous three seasons. On this day, the Warriors gained a 2-1 lead after doubles play. Edgewood College's Morgan Wilson and Laura Olsen pulled out an 8-4 victory over Wisconsin Lutheran's Kaitlyn Strehlow and Stephanie Gengler at No. 1 doubles, but the Warriors claimed the other two matches.
Needing to win at least four singles matches to claim the dual, Edgewood College got off to a great start with wins by Amber Cook at No. 3 singles and Kristen Boone at No. 6 singles. Anna Miles then finished off Alyssa Strangstalien 6-3, 6-4 at No. 4 singles and the Eagles were on the verge of winning the dual match at 4-2. Ashli Paulson put Edgewood College over the top with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Kendall Bonnin at No. 5 singles.
In the final two matches, Laura Olsen squeezed out a 7-6 (7-4), 4-6, 10-6 win in a supertiebreaker over the Warriors' Kathryn Hendee at No. 2 singles. At No. 1 singles Morgan Wilson nearly did something no NAC tennis player has done in two years: beat WLC's Kaitlyn Strehlow. Wilson took the second set, but ultimately fell 6-3, 7-5, 6-3.
In the first match of the day, the Eagles rolled over Alverno College (2-4, 2-4 NAC) 9-0. The Eagles didn't lose a game below No. 2 singles and won two of the three doubles matches by a score of 8-0.
The Eagles can move closer to their goal of a fifth straight NAC title with two matches on Sunday. Edgewood College travels to River Forest, Ill. to face Dominican University in the morning and Concordia University Chicago in the afternoon.
