The Forester women's tennis team was defeated 5-1 by Midwest Conference champion St. Norbert College in the semifinals of the conference tournament on Friday. A Lake Forest victory at #1 doubles was the team-high 36th win of the year for junior Grace Dowling.
Dowling and fellow junior Christi Valicenti defeated the top doubles team from St. Norbert 9-7 and finished with an 8-3 record since teaming up atop the doubles lineup this spring. Dowling's 19 wins at all doubles positions on the year are just two shy of the program record set by Valicenti and Melika Celebic in 2012-13 ago and Valicenti's 18 triumphs at #1 doubles are one away from the school record she and Celebic posted two seasons ago. Dowling is now one of just three players in school history with at least 50 career doubles wins, joining Brittany Richardson (52) and Valicenti (57).
St. Norbert won at each of the other two spots in the doubles lineup and added victories in singles at #3, #4, and #5 to take the match. The Green Knights also went on to defeat Grinnell College 5-2 in the final to earn the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.
The Foresters finished the year with an overall record of 14-12 and the second-highest victory total in team history.
Lake Forest senior Leslie Walton is the only player the Foresters will lose to graduation next month.