Seniors Grace Dowling and Christi Valicenti were each undefeated on Sunday as the Lake Forest College women's tennis team won 5-4 at Elmhurst College and 6-3 at North Park University.
The two players with the most career victories in program history started their day with an 8-4 victory against Elmhurst's #1 doubles team. The Foresters, however, trailed 2-1 going into singles play.
A Bluejay victory at #6 singles put the home team ahead 3-1 but Lake Forest rattled off four straight wins to take the match. Freshman Allison Watts began the streak with a 6-3, 6-2 triumph at #3 and Dowling followed with a 6-3, 6-0 victory at #2. Junior Lucia Stumbras defeated her counterpart at #4 singles 6-4, 6-3 and Valicenti edged out her opponent 7-6 (7-4), 6-4 at the top spot in the lineup to secure the Forester win.
Valicenti and Dowling started the match at North Park with another victory at #1 doubles, this time by a more convincing 8-1 score. They are now 19-6 as doubles partners this season and 27-9 during the last two years.
Trailing 2-1 after doubles for the second time on the day, the Foresters took five of the six singles matches, beginning with a 6-1, 6-0 rout by Stumbras at #4. Valicenti followed with a 6-4, 6-3 triumph at #1 and Dowling added a 6-4, 6-2 victory at #2. Watts won 6-3, 6-2 at #3 to clinch the match for the visitors and, after the Vikings won at #5, sophomore Whitney Navarro came out on top 6-3, 7-5 at #6 to close out the contest.
The back-to-back victories over College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opponents raised the Foresters' overall record on the season to 15-6 while North Park fell to 7-8.
Lake Forest will be in action again at Wheaton College, another CCIW member, Friday at 6:30 p.m.
