ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – In the final tune-up prior to the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Women's Tennis Championships, Augustana defeated Wheaton 6-3 on Saturday, October 13 at the Lower Campus Courts in Rock Island. The Vikings completed a perfect fall season with a 9-0 overall record and an 8-0 mark in CCIW play while Wheaton is now 9-1 and 7-1.
 
This coming week the two teams figure to be the top choice to battle for the CCIW title when Augustana hosts the conference tournament beginning on Thursday, October 18 at the Quad City Tennis Club in Moline, Illinois. It will be a three-day affair and will finish on Saturday. The winner of the tournament will be declared the CCIW champion for 2018-19 and will host the NCAA Automatic Qualifier in the spring.
 
Head Coach Jon Miedema's Vikings jumped out to a 2-1 lead after the doubles portion of the meet was concluded today. Seniors Caitlyn Schaffer (Kenwood Academy, Chicago, Ill.) and Madeline Lombardi (Edwardsville HS, Glen Carbon, Ill.) were impressive in defeating Claire Browning and Claire Dibble 8-1 at number one. Junior Zeana Badawi (Hinsdale Central HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) and sophomore Annie Timm (Prairie Ridge HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) defeated Nicole Freeman and Sara Magnuson 8-4 at number two.
 
Augustana's number three team of sophomores Leraaen Abbott (Belvidere North HS, Belvidere, Ill.) and Morgan Bullen (Colorado Academy, Lakewood, Colo.) dropped an 8-3 decision to Bethany Hoogerheide and Emma Westwick and that gave the Thunder its lone doubles point.
 
The Vikings won four of the six singles matches to salt the victory away and in three of the four wins Miedema's player lost the first set.
 
Schaffer beat Westwick 3-6; 6-3; 6-2 at number one. Sophomore Maleeha Chowdhury (Rock Canyon HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) bounced back at number five singles to beat Freeman 3-6; 6-1; 6-2 and sophomore Kalli Majewski (Mundelein HS, Mundelein, Ill.) lost her first set at number six singles before coming from behind to defeat Hoogerheide 4-6; 6-1; 6-4.
 
Badawi was the lone Viking to buck the trend in singles as she beat Browning in straight sets 6-3; 6-1 at number three.
 
Timm fell to Magnuson at number two 6-1; 4-6; 5-7 and Lombardi lost 6-6; 4-6 at number four to Dibble.