The College of Lake County women's tennis team traveled to Park Forest for the Region IV Tournament and turned in a strong performance, finishing fourth overall after two days of competitive matches.
The Lancers got off to a strong start on the opening day, winning four of their six first-round singles matches. At #1 singles, Emeri Oliver showed improvement against Waubonsee compared to their dual meet the previous week, falling in a competitive 3-6, 4-6 match. Sophie Lelchuk picked up a victory at #2 singles, bouncing back from a tiebreaker loss to College of DuPage in the teams' previous meeting.
Reagan Mohr cruised to a victory over McHenry Community College at #3 singles, while Valerie Mendoza battled through a match tiebreaker to defeat College of DuPage 10-7 at #4. Melanie Garcia added another point with a dominant 6-0, 6-1 win over McHenry at #5 singles. At #6, Ananya Murli played a steady match but came up just short in a match tiebreaker against Waubonsee.
The Lancers carried that momentum into the semifinals, where Lelchuk defeated Illinois Valley and Mohr took down Waubonsee to add two more points to the team total. Mendoza and Garcia both fell in their semifinal matches but responded with victories in their third-place matches to earn additional points.
In the singles finals, Lelchuk faced last year's #2 singles champion from Sauk Valley and came up short. Mohr also put together a strong effort against Illinois Valley but was unable to secure the victory.
With the tournament shifting to doubles on day two, the Lancers remained in contention. The #2 doubles team of Mohr and Garcia opened with a victory over McHenry, while Anahi Mondragon and Mendoza pulled out a match tiebreaker to defeat Sauk Valley at #3 doubles. At #1 doubles, Oliver and Lelchuk battled Waubonsee but fell just short in a 7-10 match tiebreaker.
Both remaining doubles teams advanced to the semifinals, where Mohr and Garcia fell to College of DuPage and Mondragon and Mendoza lost to Illinois Valley. In the third-place matches, Mohr and Garcia came up short against Moraine Valley. Mondragon and Mendoza showed improvement from their previous dual meet against College of DuPage but were unable to come away with the victory.
The Lancers finished fourth overall at the regional tournament, bringing a successful season to a close. The team showed tremendous growth and improvement throughout the year, building a strong foundation for the future.
With four players returning next season, the Lancers will look to build on this year's progress and make a push toward qualifying for the NJCAA National Tournament.
