GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Yellowjacket women's tennis team got its trip to Alabama off to strong start Monday, winning a pair of matches at the Gulf Shores Tennis Complex.
The day started with a 5-2 win over Illinois Wesleyan in the morning and concluded nearly 12 hours later with a 6-1 win over Earlham College.
With the victories, the Yellowjackets have won eight of their last 10 and improve to 10-3 for the 2024-25 season.
In the opener, the Yellowjackets got off on the right foot, taking the doubles point with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. They got quick wins at No. 5 singles and No. 6 singles before
Elif Oezen (Rheda-Wiedenbrueck, Germany/Einstein Gymnasium) sealed things with a straight sets win at No. 3 singles.
Against Earlham, the Yellowjackets again won two of the three doubles matches to take the early lead. And for the second match in a row, Oezen won the clincher, again earning a win in straight sets at the No. 3 singles position.
Match One Notes
- Brooke Wilfong (St. Cloud, Minn./St. Cloud Tech) and Kate Jonas (Annandale, Minn./Annandale) got things started with a 6-1 win at No. 3 doubles, and Giulia Araujo De Barros (Curitiba, Brazil/Colegio Sabre) and Claudia Curtis (Lake Mills, Wis./Lake Mills) followed suit, winning by the same score at No. 3 doubles.
- Araujo De Barros opened the singles scoring with a 6-1, 6-0 win in the No. 5 slot.
- Jonas gave the Yellowjackets their third point with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 6 singles.
- Oezen gave the 'Jackets the win with 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3.
- The final point for the Yellowjackets came in thrilling fashion as Curtis won a back-and-forth match over Illinois Wesleyan's Olivia Bell, 6-1, 4-6, 1-0 (10-8).
- Curtis improved to 9-2 in singles play with the victory.
- Jonas and Araujo De Barros brought their singles records up to 8-2.
Match Two Notes
- Stella Harris (Negaunee, Mich./Negaunee) and Kylie Coel (Pulaski, Wis./Pulaski) got the winning started for UWS in the second match, rolling to a 6-1 win at No. 3 doubles.
- Curtis and Jonas followed, quickly winning at No. 2 doubles, 6-3, to secure the doubles point.
- Wilfong breezed to a win at No. 5 singles, 6-0, 6-0, winning in just over 30 minutes.
- Daylyn Drew (Negaunee, Mich./Negaunee) needed just over an hour to win at No. 6 singles, defeating Earlham's Madison Ruwersma 7-5, 6-1.
- Oezen clinched for the second time in the day with a 6-4, 6-4 win in the No. 3 slot.
- Araujo De Barros locked in her third win of the day (two singles, one doubles), coming away with the tiebreaker at No. 4 singles. After dropping the opening set 4-6, she took the second 6-3 before winning the third 1-0 (10-3)
- The Yellowjackets picked up their final point of the day at No. 1 singles, where Andreina Tejada (Quito, Ecuador/Isaac Newton) come out on top in a marathon match. After dropping the opening set 5-7, Tejada took the second 7-5 before winning the tiebreaker 1-0 (10-6).
- With her win in singles play Araujo De Barros picked up her ninth win of the season, tying her for the team lead.
- Oezen inched closer to the .500 mark, improving to 6-7 with her win.
- Wilfong is now 5-1 in singles action.
The Yellowjackets are off until Thursday, Mar. 13 when they will take on Belhaven University. The first serve is set for 7 a.m.
