The Kenyon women’s tennis team held its annual Kenyon Invitational to kick off the fall season this past weekend. The Owls hosted eight teams from Ohio and Pennsylvania and put up an impressive individual record to start off their year.
Kenyon’s first-years started their collegiate careers off on a high note, with Madeline Chappars ’27 and Lauren Dell’Acqua ’27 both going undefeated in singles and combining for three doubles wins. The pair put up two impeccable doubles performances, winning their first two matches 8-0, 8-0 and then clinched their third match 8-4. Dell’Acqua spoke highly of her first doubles experience in an email to the Collegian: “Playing at this level with my partner Maddie was a blast. We played smart and still had a lot of fun out there doing what we do best.”
Ana Brand ’27 and her doubles partner Natalie Connelly ’25 also went undefeated in doubles play. The duo dominated in doubles, recording scores of 8-0, 8-0 and 8-2. Brand posted a 2-1 record in singles, winning her first two in straight sets and narrowly losing her final match in a tight three-setter. Connelly also went 2-1 in singles, coming back from a set down to secure a three-set victory in one of her matches.
Other Owls with strong performances this past weekend included Shadia Amado Aguad ’26, who won two matches, decisively winning her last match 6-2, 6-0. Lalasa Nagireddy ’25 went 1-1 in singles, dropping her first match but finding success in her second, 6-4, 7-5. Amado Aguad and Nagireddy also went 1-1 in doubles play.
Doubles partners Allaire Berl ’26 and Eleni Dakos ’24 claimed one win together after narrowly losing their other two matches. Both Dakos and Berl played highly competitive individual matches and each claimed one singles victory.
Dell’Acqua described how the team is feeling optimistic about their strong performance last weekend. “We got a good win under our belt and our goal is to have a positive and strong mindset in every game we play,” she said. “We’re a team and we support each other through every win and loss.”
The Owls will be back in action on Sept. 22, when they travel to Washington University in St. Louis (Mo.) to take part in the ITA Central Region Championship.