Over the weekend, the Kenyon women’s tennis team traveled to Kalamazoo, Michigan to compete at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) Central Region Championship, hosted by Kalamazoo College. The Owls battled through a long three-day tournament against several of the nation’s best, including the University of Chicago and Washington University in St. Louis (WashU).

On the first day of the tournament, the Owls had major success. Maya Stolarsky ’29, defeated a Lake Forest competitor in a 7-5, 6-0 win. Later in the day, Xenia Ilyasova ’30, dominated an Earlham College foe in two straight sets, winning both 6-0. Other matches included Ana Brand ’27 defeating Hope College (6-2, 6-1) and Kiara Komlodi ’29 taking down a Hope College foe (6-2, 6-3). Lora Szabo ’30 also won her singles match (6-3, 6-1). To round out the victories on day one, Chelsea Chakanyuka ’30 claimed her own 6-3, 6-1 triumph. 

As the tournament progressed into its second day, the competition increased in difficulty. Brand advanced to the round of 16 but fell in the quarterfinal. Similarly, Komlodi also ended her hot streak in the round of 16.

After three days of competition, the lone Owl standing was Szabo, who won several close matches against tough competitors. These hard-earned victories cemented her spot in the ITA Regional Tournament Final on Monday.

Szabo ultimately fell short in the final, dropping a 6-0, 6-1 match to last year’s NCAA Division III runner-up from WashU. However, she qualified for a spot in the ITA Cup, a national tournament which will be held in mid-October at the Rome Tennis Center at Berry College in Rome, Georgia. 

In terms of her performance overall, Szabo was pleased: “It was a really tiring tournament both mentally and physically because I had two matches a day, and almost all of them were 2-3 hours long. But, overall, I’m very happy with my performance. I feel like I gained a lot of experience and am going to try and do my best in two weeks at the ITA Cup in Georgia. I just want to do my best and try to make Kenyon proud.” 

In doubles play, all three Kenyon pairs took home wins in their first matches. Komlodi and Chakanyuka collected a second win in the round of 32, but were brought to a halt in the round of 16 by a duo from WashU.

In total, the Owls managed to bring 16 wins home to Gambier, proving they remain a competitive force. While this tournament concluded fall play, the Owls will continue to prepare for their upcoming spring season.