Despite 4-0 team setbacks to Lindsey Wilson and Campbellsville in the MSC Preseason Tennis Invitational, the youthful Shawnee State women's tennis lineup showcased excellent strides, picking up a pair of victories from SSU graduate transfer Kierstin Hensley at the No. 1 singles slot and getting another win from Hensley and Claire Carruthers at the No. 1 doubles position in competition Friday at the MSC Preseason Tennis Invitational in Owensboro, Ky.
Hensley wastes no time making statement
With a mantle filled with outstanding accolades throughout her college career, Shawnee State senior Kierstin Hensley wasted no time toppling outstanding competition at the Women's MSC Preseason Tennis Invitational.
Against Lindsey Wilson's No. 1 singles talent Alexandria Parra, Hensley toppled the Venzuelan native by a 6-4 margin in the opening set before Parra retired with an injury following the first set of competition, giving the win to Hensley. In doing so, Hensley scored a set win over the No. 30-ranked player in the Oracle ITA-NAIA Women's Singles Rankings from 2020.
Following a setback with Grace Eberhard at No. 1 doubles to Lindsey Wilson's Alexandria Parra and Lucia Mora, Hensley rallied back and after initially falling to Campbellsville's Brenda Aguilar at No. 1 singles by a 2-6 margin in the opening set, rallied back to score an impressive 2-6, 6-2, 10-6 victory over Aguilar. Aguilar, a Las Vegas, Nev. native, was ranked No. 49 in the Oracle ITA-NAIA Women's Singles Rankings from 2020.
To cap off the day, Hensley teamed with Claire Carruthers to notch an impressive 6-1 defeat of Aguilar and Emily Carbo at the No. 1 doubles slot. Hensley is tied with Cumberlands (Ky.)'s Tomani Nagao -- who was the No. 4-ranked player in the Oracle ITA-NAIA Women's Singles Rankings from 2020 -- at 2-0 at the No. 1 singles slot heading into the final day, where the pair will face off against one another in a showdown of two of the more talented women's singles players that one could hope to find in America.
Improvement evident from top-to-bottom in SSU lineup
Beyond Hensley's standout performances at both No. 1 slots for SSU, the entire Shawnee State lineup fared in a respectable manner against the remaining portions of Lindsey Wilson's and Campbellsville's lineups.
At No. 3 doubles against Lindsey Wilson, Regan Osborn and Jessica Willard took Yuno Oe and Carla Albert to 10 games before falling by a 6-4 margin, while Lacey Urban, making her first ever collegiate appearance at No. 5 singles, fell to Oe by a 6-2, 6-3 count.
Carruthers and Willard then played strong at No. 3 and No. 4 singles against Rebeca Scurt and Emily Carbo, with Carruthers dropping her match by a scant 6-3, 6-4 count and Willard playing Carbo to a competitive 6-4, 6-1 margin.
Up Next
Shawnee State will be back in action Saturday for the final day of the MSC Women's Tennis Preseason Invitational.
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