MOUNT VERNON, IOWA – The Edgewood College Eagles women's tennis squad kicked off their 2024-25 season with a pair of matches against nonconference foes. The Eagles battled with the UW-Stout Blue Devils and the Cornell Rams. The Eagles (2-0) impressed against the Blue Devils (0-1) with a clean 7-0 sweep, before rallying against the Rams (1-1) with a 4-3 comeback to start the season.
MATCH ONE: EDGEWOOD COLLEGE 7, UW-STOUT 0
- Starting with the 2024-25 season, the NCAA changed scoring for doubles. Doubles only counts for one point in the match, which goes to the team who wins two of three doubles matches.
- The Eagles set the tone for the match with a trio of doubles victories.
Evelyn Taylor and
Madelyn Connaughty claimed a 6-1 final in top billing, while
Christina Ekkela and
Kathryn Lauger matched the total in their no. 3 doubles win to claim the doubles point.
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Hattie Plenty and
Marissa Light teamed up for a 6-2 triumph in no. 2 doubles.
- Taylor continued to roll in singles with a 6-0, 6-1 victory.
Cassie Henderson stepped up into the second slot with a 6-2, 6-0 win.
- Light clinched the match with a 6-0, 6-1 tally in no. 3 singles.
- Connaughty claimed a 7-6 (7-5), 6-1 final in fourth billing, while
Hattie Plenty won 6-2, 6-0 in no. 6 singles.
- Ekkela finished up the day with a 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-4) victory to round out the sweep.
MATCH TWO: EDGEWOOD COLLEGE 4, CORNELL 3
- Cornell laid claim to the doubles point in no. 2 and 3 doubles. Plenty and Connaughty fell 6-4 as did Henderson and Ekkela.
- Taylor and Light battled to the bitter end in no. 1 doubles, falling by a 7-6 (7-0) margin.
- After Henderson dropped a 7-5, 6-0 final in second singles billing, momentum shifted towards the Eagles. Light clinched a 6-1, 6-2 win in no. 3 singles.
- Plenty and Ekkela kept things rolling in sixth and fifth singles respectively. Plenty emerged with a 7-5, 6-0 triumph, before Ekkela put Edgewood College ahead 3-2 with a 6-3, 6-3 tally.
- Taylor dropped a 5-7, 6-3, 6-0 finish in top singles to leave the match hanging in the balance at 3-3. Connaughty clinched the match for the Eagles, putting together an impressive comeback in 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-0 fashion.
BEYOND THE BOX SCORE
- The victory against Cornell evened the all-time series at two wins apiece, with Edgewood College winning the last two meetings.
- The match against UW-Stout was the first time the two programs have met in women's tennis.
- The 2-0 start is women's tennis best start to a season since 2020-21, where they won their first 10 matches in a row.
UP NEXT
The Eagles will finish their stay in Iowa tomorrow. They will take on Buena Vista at 9:00 a.m. Sunday. This will be the first time the two schools will face off in women's tennis.
