BELLEVILLE, Ill. – McKendree women's tennis closed out its 2021-22 fall season here Saturday evening as the Bearcats posted a 6-1 victory over Missouri Valley College at the St. Clair Tennis Club.
With the win, McKendree improves to 2-1 on the season, while Missouri Valley falls to 0-3 on the year.
The Bearcats opened the match by earning the doubles point after winning all three of the doubles matches.
In doubles action, sophomore Camilla Fonseca (Rio de Janiero, Brazil/Colegio Saber) and junior Viola Ciprani (Arezzo, Italy/Liceo Classico Francesco Petrarca) picked up a 6-2 win at the No. 1 spot, while sophomores Rhyan Cook (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) and Maria Vitoria Salomao (Minas Geraids, Brazil/Belo Horizonte) won 6-1 at the No. 2 spot and sophomore Emily Kettering (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community West) and sophomore Bailey Grigg (Marine, Ill./Triad) won 7-5 at the No. 3 spot.
Meanwhile, in singles action, the lone match McKendree didn't win came at the No. 6 spot as Grigg fell 7-5, 7-6 to Chane Higgo. At the No. 5 spot, junior Mariana Caicdeo Mora (Cucuta, Columiba) needed a third set tiebreaker to defeat Tristan Liebenberg, 4-6, 6-3, 10-5.
In the other four singles matches, the Bearcats won in straight sets as McKendree lost a total of 21 games.
Fonseca won at No. 1 singles, 6-3, 6-1 over Mara Vidal, while Cipriani won 6-1, 7-5 over Amy Henning at the No. 2 spot and Cook earned a 7-6, 7-5 win over Paola Vargas at the No. 3 spot.
Salomao dropped just one game in winning a 6-0, 6-1 match at the No. 4 over Lorena Piaggi.
McKendree will return to the court on Friday, Feb. 11 as the Bearcats host Missouri Baptist indoors at the St. Clair Tennis Club in Belleville, Ill.