GODFREY, Ill. – The McKendree University women's tennis team opened its 2021-22 season here Wednesday afternoon with a 6-1 victory over Lewis & Clark Community College at the Lewis & Clark Tennis Center.
 
McKendree won the doubles point after winning both of the doubles matches that were played and earning the third win by default and winning five of the singles matches to claim its first win of the season.
 
In doubles action, the Bearcats picked up victories at No. 1 and No. 2 to pick up the point. At No. 1 doubles, sophomore Camilla Fonseca (Rio de Janiero, Brazil/Colegio Saber) and junior Viola Cipriani (Arezzo, Italy/Liceo Classico Francesco Petrarca) defeated Sofija Djunusjeviz and Jelizaveta Govrova, 6-3, while the No. 2 team of sophomore Rhyan Cook (Pickerington, Ohio/Pickerington North) and junior Mariana Caicedo Mora (Cucuta, Colombia/American International School of Mallorca) defeated Kennedy Loewen and Aubry Hurta, 6-1. The No. 3 doubles match was not played.
 
Meanwhile, in singles play, the Bearcats won No. 5 and No. 6 by default and then sealed the match win with victories at Nos. 2-4 singles. Lewis & Clark's lone win came at the No. 1 singles spot as Djunisjeviz defeated Caicado Mora, 6-1, 6-3 to prevent a Bearcat sweep.
 
The wins in singles came at the No. 2 spot by Maria Vitoria Salomao (Minas Geraids, Brazil/Belo Horizonte) as she defeated Govrova, 7-5, 7-5, while sophomore Anele Maplanka (Gaborone, Botswana/Al-Nur Secondary School) won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 3 singles over Loewen and sophomore Emily Kettering (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community West) won 6-2, 6-2 at No. 4 singles over Hurta.
 
McKendree will next be in action on Tuesday, Sept. 14 as the Bearcats host Quincy University for a 2 p.m. match at Triad High School in Troy, Ill.