No. 12-ranked Kenyon (8-0) captured the 2021 NCAC Women's Tennis Championship on Saturday, May 8, in Greencastle, Indiana. The Ladies defeated DePauw (7-10), 6-0, securing their fourth consecutive and conference-leading 19th NCAC title in program history.
Kenyon began the day collecting three decisions in doubles action. At No. 1 doubles, the duo of senior Erika Oku (Hinsdale, IL/Hinsdale Central) and junior Daria Beshentseva (Moscow, Russia/Lyceum 1535) combined to win by an 8-4 margin. At No. 2 doubles, Kenyon senior Ilana Blackwood (Saint James, Barbados/Queens) and freshman Victoria Vasquez (Shaker Heights, OH/Laurel School) issued an 8-0 victory, while senior Kayla Pukys (Louisville, OH/Louisville) and freshman Eleni Dakos (Towaco, NJ/Newark Academy) earned an 8-1 decision at No. 3 doubles.
In singles play, Kenyon's Oku won in straight sets at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-0, while Beshentseva secured a 6-2, 6-0, victory at No. 2 singles. Finally, Vasquez took No. 3 singles in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1, for the final 6-0 score.
The NCAC championship marked Kenyon head coach Scott Thielke's 12th title with the women's team and 30th between coaching the Lords and Ladies tennis programs.
As conference champions, Kenyon has earned the league's automatic bid into the 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Tournament. The NCAA Division III field will be announced via press release on Monday, May 10 at NCAA.com.
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DePauw, Kenyon set for NCAC Women's Tennis Championship
The women's tennis teams from Kenyon and DePauw have earned the top seeds from the East and West Divisions, respectively. As the top seeds of each division, the Ladies and Tigers advance to the 2021 NCAC Women's Tennis Championship game.
The two teams arrive at the conference title match after posting perfect 4-0 records in their respective divisions. They met up once during the regular season for a non-conference matchup on Sunday, April 25, in which Kenyon recorded an 8-1 victory over DePauw.
The championship game will be hosted by the Tigers and is tentatively set for Saturday, May 8 at 12:00 p.m. The winner of the championship will earn the conference's automatic berth into the 2021 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Tournament.
Kenyon leads the way with 18 NCAC Championship titles (1986-93, 1995-01, 2017-19), while Denison has captured 12 (1994, 2002-11, '16), DePauw has four (2012-15) and Allegheny has earned one (1985).
Spectator Policy
All NCAC championship events will be conducted using the respective campus visitors' policies; at this time, visiting team spectators are not permitted at any NCAC campus. Masking and social distancing policies are also in effect. Failure to comply with protocols will result in removal from campus.
Note: Conference policy will determine the championship field if team availability changes due to COVID 19 protocols prior to the championship game.
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2021 NCAC Women's Tennis Championship Format
The top seeds from the East and West Divisions will advance to a championship match, which will be hosted by the West Divisional top seed, unless the two schools agree to a change to accommodate facility or campus situations.
Spectators will be permitted according to the host institution's campus visitors' policy.
The winner of the championship match will claim the 2021 NCAC Championship and also earn the conference's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
2021 NCAC Divisions:
East – Allegheny, Denison, Kenyon, Wooster
West – DePauw, Ohio Wesleyan, Wittenberg