North Central College women’s tennis proving they deserve success
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (BVM) — North Central College’s women’s tennis team is on a winning streak. They have consistently won their past eight games, breaking their 2008-09 season which had five consecutive wins. Aside from being powerful athletes, North Central’s women’s tennis team is notorious for having well rounded and consistent athletes.
In the spring season, North Central achieved a 14-6 overall record which included a perfect 8-0 record in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play. During the CCIW season, the Cardinals won 28 of their 47 individual matches. This helped them move forward to the CCIW tournament and receive a perfect score of 5-0.
By the end of the season, the Cardinals were in the NCAA Division III championship for the first time. North Central finished off the season by receiving a national ranking of No. 29 from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
The Cardinals started off their fall season with their entire starting lineup from the spring season returning. They are led by coach Ryan Jump, who, for the first time, was voted CCIW Coach of the Year during their spring season. Notable players from last season to look out for this fall include, Kaeli Smashey, Hannah Hougland and Alaina Kanthapihixay.
Smashey is the first player to earn CCIW Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year honors. Additionally, she was named North Central’s first CCIW Player of the Year honoree. Houghland and Kanthapihixay were able to earn All-CCIW accolades for the third year straight. Lastly, Houghland entered the fall season ranked fourth in the program’s history in singles wins with 48 victories.
The Cardinals’ recent success shows how consistency is key when refining athletic skills. It’s safe to say that due to the success of their spring season, the Cardinals have high expectations for themselves for the fall season. They have hopes of reaching the top of the CCIW standings and winning the championships once again. Doing this will allow for North Central to establish itself as a recurring contender for the postseason.
The Cardinals started off their season strong with a record of three wins against Central College and Purdue University-Northwest during the inaugural North Central Invitational. Smashy, Hougland and Kanthaphixay posted perfect 4-0 records by winning singles and doubles matches against their opponents. Hougland and Kanthapixay were paired together, and Smashey teamed up with Natalie Bassett.
During the seventh match of the season, Kanthaphixay received CCIW’s Player of the Week award after her performance against Wheaton College and Millikin University. She was able to gain an 8-1 victory against Wheaton during her first match of the week. In her match against Millikin, Kanthaphixay earned two more wins and was able to post a 4-0 record. She has already reached the 100-win mark in her career.
North Central’s winning streak shows no sign of stopping anytime soon. With strong players and a consistent work ethic, it’s clear that great success is in the future for the team. Their hopes of becoming a consistent member for the postseason is looking to be closer than it seems. Stay tuned for the Cardinals’ next match against Elmhurst University on Oct. 9 to see if they can maintain their streak.
