The Eastern women’s tennis team had two players win single championships at the Olivet Nazarene Tournament over the weekend.

Freshman Brittany Stevens played in her first college matches, playing in six total and finishing with a 5-1 record.

“My first one I was very nervous for, but I got through it and won,” she said.

Stevens’ one loss came in a third set tiebreaker, 3-6, 6-2 and 9-11.

“I was coming back and feeling good, but I got nervous to close the match out,” she said. “The nerves are to be expected with that being my first tournament, but I am going to take what I have learned from it and continue to get better and grow as a player.”

Kaitlyn Snyder won the flight A draw, beating her teammate Claire Perez-Korinko in the championship match, 6-1, 6-4.

Snyder won her first match against Olivet Nazarene 6-2, 6-0. She went on to win her next two rounds, leading her to reach the finals.

Perez-Korinko also won her opening round against an Olivet-Nazarene opponent, 7-5, 6-1.

Perez-Korinko then won her next two rounds taking her to the tournament finals.

Lauren Ellis and Shaianne Looney participated in the flight B draw. Ellis won her first match against Illinois Tech, 6-3, 6-2.

Ellis then won against Saint Francis with a 10-4 tiebreaker, causing her to play against Western Illinois in the finals where she won 6-2, 6-2.

Ellis said the matches went really well for the team.

“I felt that I played really smart and adapted in each match to the style that I needed to play in order to win,” she said.

She also believes that the team improved from the first match.

“In doubles, my partner Shaianne and I played much better together after having experience and knowing how one another played. In singles, I was definitely much more comfortable after having one tourney under my belt,” Ellis said. “I was able to play much more freely and confident. I also think that after having our first tournament last weekend, we were able to see what we needed to work on and emphasized and focused on that in practice before this tournament.”

Ellis will not be participating in the home tournament this upcoming weekend because of the rule that they can only play in four tournaments in the fall season.

“I am still looking forward to seeing many of my teammates play on our home courts for the first time this season and cheering them on,” Ellis said.

Stevens is also excited for the home tournament this weekend.

“Everyone is pumped and ready for our first home tournament,” she said. “I know everyone is going to do so well and go out there and represent EIU.” 

Bailey Scoggins can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].