The Forester women's tennis team split its matches at the Midwest Conference Team Tournament on Saturday defeating Cornell College 4-3 in the semifinals before falling 4-0 to Grinnell College, the 30th-ranked team in the nation, in the final.
Junior
Sofia Strupovets and sophomore
Lilli Dockal were undefeated on the day at the top of Lake Forest's lineup. They edged out Cornell's #1 doubles team 7-6 (7-4) and Dockal went on to win 6-3, 6-1 at #2 singles. Strupovets dropped the first set 6-1 but took the second 6-3 and the third 6-1 at #1. The duo also defeated Grinnell's best 6-4 but were not able to finish their singles matches before the Pioneers earned the clinching point. Strupovets, the 19th-ranked player in the Central Region, was ahead 7-6 (7-4), 0-2 and Dockal 6-4, 4-5 when the match ended.
While the victory atop the lineup secured the doubles point against Cornell, which came in ranked 54th in the country, it was only possible because freshman
Anya Mookencherry and sophomore
Avelynn Wen won 6-4 at #2 after the Rams prevailed by the same score at #3.
Dockal was the first to finish in singles but Cornell came out on top at #3, #5, and #6. Wen's 6-4, 6-0 victory at #4 and the triumph by Strupovets at the top of the lineup flipped the score and sent Lake Forest to the final.
Despite Strupovets and Dockal winning at #1, the Pioneers took the doubles point in the final with a 6-0 victory at #3 and a narrow 7-5 triumph at #2.
Lake Forest players won the first set at the top four spots in the singles lineup but convincing wins at #5 and #6 singles and a comeback victory at #3 by the Pioneers gave them the tourney title and a spot in the NCAA Division III Tournament.
After the match Forester junior
Kate Feist was announced as the MWC Elite 10 Award recipient for the second year in a row. The honor goes to the player in the tournament with the highest cumulative grade point average.
The Foresters finished the year 16-5 while Grinnell improved to 16-6.
