The Forester women's tennis team was edged out 5-4 at Grinnell College on Saturday. Junior Grace Dowling and senior Gracie Mullins earned their 33rd career victory as a doubles team, breaking a 15-year-old program record. Despite the loss, Lake Forest qualified for a berth in the four-team Midwest Conference Tournament thanks to results elsewhere in the league.
Dowling and Mullins came out on top of a 9-8 (10-7) decision at #2 doubles to set the record and give the Foresters a 2-1 lead going into singles play. The visitors' other doubles point came at #1, where junior Christi Valicenti and sophomore Lexi Chionis prevailed 8-6.
Grinnell rattled off four straight singles victories to clinch the match. Chionis ended the run with a hard-fought 6-4, 2-6, (10-7) win at #3 and Dowling closed out the contest with a 7-5, 6-3 triumph at #2.
Lake Forest fell to 10-3 overall and 7-3 in MWC play while the Pioneers improved to 7-4 overall and 6-2 in the league. A 7-2 victory by Cornell College over Carroll University clinched a spot in next spring's MWC Tournament for the Foresters.
The Foresters will play their final dual match of the fall Sunday morning at Cornell College. The contest will begin at 9:00 a.m.