ABILENE, Texas – No. 16 Trinity University Women's Tennis opened the 2023 slate with an 8-1 victory at Hardin-Simmons University Friday evening collecting the program's 13^th consecutive win of 8-1 or 9-0 against the American Southwest Conference representative since the 2011 season.
 
The Tigers opened the match with a sweep in doubles, led by the sophomore first-line duo of Ruth Hill (Abilene, Texas / Abilene) and Olivia Kim (Phoenix, Ariz. / Desert Mountain) on a 8-4 mark in favor of the nation's 25^th-ranked duo.
 
The second and third lines each featured 8-6 margins between the 16^th-ranked pair of junior Cate Cushing (Colleyville, Texas / Heritage) and first-year Trinity Levy (Camarillo, Calif. / Weil Tennis Academy) in the second line and juniors Ellie Hughes (Austin, Texas / Vandegrift) and Elodie Richard (Allen, Texas / Allen) in the third.
 
Levy posted the lone straight-sets matchup for Trinity that did not need a seventh game won with her 6-2, 6-4 third-line victory. Cushing, Hughes and Richard all claimed victory in the fourth through sixth lines in two sets, though each had their first set taken to extras including a tiebreak for Richard that carried on for a 12-10 tally.
 
Kim avoided extra time in her first set, 6-4, but ceded the second by a mirrored tally which forced one of two superbreakers in the book Friday. The sophomore regained control through a decisive 10-5 rally in the third frame.

Coach Speak

"It's fun getting the season started with a win against a quality opponent," Head Coach Drew Cohn said. "It's always windy in Abilene and the team did a great job working with what we had. Looking forward to playing ACU tomorrow and getting back home. Yeehaw!"

Up Next

No. 16 Trinity Women's Tennis will remain in Abilene overnight to battle NCAA I Abilene Christian University at 10:00 a.m. Saturday. The Tigers return for their home-opener next Friday to host Our Lady of the Lake University.