ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – After struggling a bit in doubles, the Augustana women's tennis team found its footing in the singles matches and the result was an 8-1 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin win over Millikin on Wednesday, September 6 at the Lower Campus Courts. The Vikings of Head Coach Jon Miedema moved their record to 3-0 on the young season and 1-0 in CCIW play while Millikin fell to 3-2 and 0-1.
 
During the early portion of the match; the doubles competition, the outcome was very much in doubt. Millikin won at number one doubles when Molly Angell and Melissa Donovan defeated the Vikings junior duo of Caitlyn Schaffer (Kenwood Academy, Chicago, Ill.) and Madeline Lombardi (Edwardsville HS, Glen Carbon, Ill.) 9-7.
 
Augustana did get victories from numbers two and three doubles. At number two it was freshman Faith Johnson (Harker Heights HS, Harker Heights, Texas) and sophomore Zeana Badawi (Hinsdale Central HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) taking the measure of Kelly and Maggie Ruane by a score of 8-6. The number three team of freshmen Annie Timm (Prairie Ridge HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) and Morgan Bullen (Colorado Academy, Lakewood, Colo.) beat Danielle Beard and Morgan Bettner 8-5.
 
Armed with a 2-1 lead heading into singles, the Vikings turned up the heat on the Big Blue and came away with six consecutive straight set match victories.
 
Schaffer beat Bettner 6-3; 6-4 and number one singles to move to 2-1 on the year and Timm took care of Angell 6-2; 6-2 at number two and went to 2-0. Badawi upped her mark to 4-2 with a 6-1; 6-3 win over Maggie Ruane at number three.
 
Freshman Maleeha Chowdhury (Rock Canyon HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) beat Donovan 6-1; 6-0 at number four and Bullen beat Beard 6-2; 6-3 at number five. The number six singles match went to freshman Margaret Chadick (Plainfield North HS, Plainfield, Ill.) by a score of 6-1; 6-0 over Katie Cooper.
 
Augustana will face a pair of CCIW opponents this Saturday, September 9. The Vikings will play Carthage at 9:00 a.m. in Kenosha, Wisconsin and then travel North to Waukesha, Wisconsin to face Carroll at 3:00 p.m.