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Madi Davila file photo
Cory Lizalde

NCAC Tournament Preview: Women's Tennis Hoping to Keep Momentum Rolling

| By: JCUSID

The Blue Streaks enjoyed a nice regular season in NCAC play

GAMBIER, Ohio – It's been a fantastic season of competitive play for John Carroll Women's Tennis in the spring of 2026. 

A roster filled with familiar faces has blossomed in the raised level of competition that the NCAC brings to the table. With a conference record of 5-2 (10-5 overall), the Blue Streaks have clinched themselves the #3 seed in the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament. 

On Friday, May 1, #3 John Carroll will take on the #6 DePauw Tigers in a quarterfinal matchup at Kenyon College at 1:30 pm. The winner will take on #2 Denison, an NCAC powerhouse, and a tall task to say the least. 

When the Blue Streaks and the Tigers met during the regular season, JCU got the better of DePauw by a score of 6-1. With a sweep in doubles and straight set victories across the board in singles, their only loss came at #6 singles, where Lily Dixon accepted a 6-2, 6-2 defeat. Luckily for the Blue Streaks, star dual-sport athlete Morgan Dobos will be back in the lineup after missing some time in the regular season, which pushes sophomore sensation Madi Davila down to #6 singles. 

After a rocky start to the season against talented ranked opponents, the Blue Streaks went on a 7-match tear, including four conference victories in the middle of the season to spark their postseason push. 

Giving the Blue Streaks the most bang for their buck this season have been stars Evelyn Deren, Emma Smith, and team captain Felicity Kolb. 

Deren has logged a team-best singles record of 10-5 on the year, with 11 of those matches coming at #2 singles, and each of her last 4 matches being played at the #1 spot. Look for the recently promoted junior to rock the #1 spot in postseason action. Deren and Maddie Kavenagh have teamed up to dominate the #1 doubles spot all year, going 11-4 overall, and 6-1 in the conference. Expect more of the same from the Northville, Michigan native come Friday. 

Smith is tied for Deren with a team-best 10-5 singles record this season. Smith, who was plucked off the club tennis team last fall, has made quite the name for herself so far in her brief JCU career. The Bethel Park, Pennsylvania native is 8-2 in her last 10 outings, and with Dobos back in the lineup, she'll likely be pushed down to the #5 spot for the NCAC Tournament. Look for the speedy sophomore to be a bright spot for JCU this weekend. 

Captain Kolb has been steady as ever for the Blue Streaks this season, especially in conference action. The senior boasts a 9-4 singles record, and has picked up 4 conference victories along the way. In doubles action, the Batavia, IL native has had similar success, posting a hard-fought record of 9-6. Look for Kolb to shine in the #4 singles spot in her fourth and final conference tournament. 

First serve on Friday is at 1:30 pm in Gambier, OH, where the Blue Streaks will look to complete a season sweep of the Tigers and move onto the NCAC Tournament Semifinal.
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