Santa Cruz, California - The 21st-ranked Trinity women's tennis team defeated #21 Whitman (WA) College and the University of California-Santa Cruz over the weekend.

HIGHLIGHTS

Opening their NCAA Division III schedule, the Tigers edged Whitman 5-4 late Saturday in San Francisco, California after being moved indoors due to weather. Trinity then beat host University of California-Santa Cruz 9-0 on Sunday.

The matchup with Whitman was a battle from the very beginning. Caroline Kutach and Megan Flores started off by winning #2 doubles 8-0. The Blues countered as Mary Kaffen and Zoe Kaffen were edged 8-6 on the top line. Whitman then took a 2-1 lead as Andrea De Leon and Hailey Feuer lost at #3 doubles.

Trinity fell behind 1-3 as De Leon came up short in a three-setter at #5 singles. Kutach took the top line in straight sets though, and Ashley DeBauge evened the score at 3-3 by taking a three-setter at #2.

Mary Kaffen won the sixth match, but Feuer lost her first singles pairing of the season at line three.

The clincher came from the last match on the court, as Zoe Kaffen won #4 singles 7-6, 6-4.

All of Trinity's wins against UC-Santa Cruz occurred in straight sets. Mary Kaffen and Zoe Kaffen won the top line of doubles, Kutach and Flores took #2 doubles, and De Leon and Feuer were victorious in the third match.

Kutach prevailed in #1 singles, DeBauge won the second line, and Feuer captured the third.

De Leon moved up to #4 singles against the Banana Slugs, Mary Kaffen played the fifth match, and Hanna Rafferty entered the lineup at #6.

The Tigers now stand at 2-2 on the season and are 2-0 against Division III opponents. Whitman dropped to 3-2, and UC-Santa Cruz fell to 2-2.

UP NEXT

The Tigers will host East Texas Baptist University at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, February 22.