GRINNELL, Iowa – Strength in the middle of the singles lineup helped carry Augustana to a 6-3 non-conference victory over Grinnell in women's tennis on Thursday, September 13 in Grinnell, Iowa. The Vikings won four singles matches from two through five and that proved to be the difference as Head Coach Jon Miedema's team moved to 4-0 on the season while Grinnell suffered its first defeat after three victories.
 
Sophomore Annie Timm (Prairie Ridge HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) picked up a 6-3; 6-2 win over Emma Gaydos at number two singles  and moved to 6-1 on the season. Junior Zeana Badawi (Hinsdale Central HS, Burr Ridge, Ill.) rolled past Isabel Green 6-2; 6-2 at number three and is also 6-1 on the year. Senior Madeline Lombardi (Edwardsville HS, Glen Carbon, Ill.) scored a tough three-set win over Lily Hamilton (7-5; 2-6; 10-8) at number four and is now 3-0 in singles this year. Sophomore Maleeha Chowdhury (Rock Canyon HS, Highlands Ranch, Colo.) beat Brenda Guan 7-6; 6-2 at number five. Chowdhury has a perfect 4-0 mark so far this season.
 
Those four wins in the middle of the singles lineup were bookended by losses at number one and six singles. Senior Caitlyn Schaffer (Kenwood Academy, Chicago, Ill.) fell 3-6; 3-6 to Abby Nielsen at number one and sophomore Kalli Majewski (Mundelein HS, Mundelein, Ill.) lost 4-6; 6-3; 2-6 to Sara Amano at number six.
 
Augustana forged a 2-1 lead after doubles with Schaffer and Lombardi pushing their record to 5-1 with an 8-6 win over Nielsen and Gaydos at number one. The number three team of sophomores Morgan Bullen (Colorado Academy, Lakewood, Colo.) and Leraaen Abbott (Belvidere North HS, Belvidere, Ill.) picked up an 8-6 victory over Hamilton and Amano at number three.
 
The Vikings number two team of Timm and Badawi fell 8-6 to Guan and Isabel Green. Badawi is still one win shy of notching her 100^th career victory at Augustana. She entered the match with Grinnell with 98 career wins and her next opportunity to hit the century mark will be at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional Tournament that begins on September 21 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Badawi currently has a mark of 99-50 overall; 51-25 in singles and 48-25 in doubles. She is attempting to become the 28^th Viking to reach 100 career wins.
 
Augustana has now won five straight dual matches over Grinnell, dating back to the 2013-14 season. Last year Miedema's team won 5-4 at home.