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November 11
Senior Diane Arnold was chosen “Most Valuable Player” for the 2004 Illinois Wesleyan women’s tennis team. Arnold was 13-3 at No. 3 singles, where she finished second at the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin tournament. She ended her career with a 51-23 singles mark, making her No. 5 all-time at IWU in singles wins. In other team honors, junior Jane Szafraniec was named the team’s “Most Improved Player” and junior Debbie Bartell was elected as the 2005 team captain. In addition to those three, other letters went to Lindsey Irwin, Harley Culbertson, Michelle Donnelly, Kristina Sawyer, Sandra Tobik, and Sarah Rusch.
October 8-9
Illinois Wesleyan freshman Sarah Rusch took first place at No. 5 singles in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin tournament, held Oct. 8-9 at Bloomington’s Evergreen Racquet Club. The Illinois Wesleyan women's tennis team finished third in the team standings with 47 points, behind Carthage (68) and Wheaton (59). Rusch is the first IWU individual champion since Nicole Tiberi won No. 4 singles in 2000 and the first at No. 5 since Sara Nance in 1997. Earning second place finishes for were Debbie Bartell (No. 2 singles) and Diane Arnold (No. 3). Earning third-place finishes were Lindsay Irwin (No. 1) and Jane Szafraniec (No. 6). Kristina Sawyer was fourth at No. 4. In doubles competition, Sawyer and Arnold were third at No. 2, Harley Culbertson and Szafraniec were third at No. 3, and Irwin and Bartell finished fourth at No. 1.
October 1-2
The Illinois Wesleyan women's tennis team was 1-2 over the weekend of Oct. 1-2, topping Chicago and falling to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foes Wheaton and Carthage. Senior Diane Arnold is 11-2 at No. 3 singles and has a career singles mark of 49-22, placing her in a sixth place tie with three others for most wins in an IWU career. Debbie Bartell is 8-5 at No. 2 singles and No. 16 all-time at IWU with a 35-16 career record and Lindsey Irwin is 9-4 at No. 1 singles and her career record of 31-17 makes her No. 19 in career wins at IWU. Sarah Rusch has won six in a row and is 9-1 at No. 5 singles. The Titans play in the CCIW tournament this weekend at Bloomington’s Evergreen Racquet Club.
September 25
The Illinois Wesleyan women's tennis team improved to 8-2 overall and 4-0 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play with a 9-0 win on Sept. 25 over Elmhurst at IWU’s Beadles-Morse Courts. Senior Diane Arnold is 10-0 playing at No. 3 singles and junior Lindsey Irwin is 9-1 and has won four in a row as the No. 1 singles player. Debbie Bartell is 7-3 at No. 2 singles and has won three matches straight while Kristina Sawyer has played to a 7-3 record at No. 4 singles and has won four straight.
September 21
The Illinois Wesleyan women’s tennis team improved to 7-2 overall and 3-0 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play with three wins last week. The Titans, who are a combined 40-14 in singles this season, topped Olivet Nazarene and St. Ambrose and CCIW foe Augustana with the lone loss coming to Division II Lewis. Senior captain Diane Arnold (Bloomington HS) is 9-0 playing at No. 3 singles and junior Lindsey Irwin (Belleville, West HS) is 8-1 as the No. 1 singles player. Arnold’s career record is now 47-20 and the 47 wins ties her for ninth most in an IWU career with Nikki Ogrin (47-36, 1997-2000) and Marie Dennison (47-19, 1989-92). Junior Debbie Bartell (Wheaton, Glenbard West HS) is 6-3 at No. 2 singles and freshman Sarah Rusch (Naperville, Neuqua Valley HS) has stepped in to play at No. 5 singles and is 6-1.
The Titans lone match this week will be against CCIW opponent Elmhurst at 10 a.m. on Sat., September 25 at IWU’s Beadles-Morse Courts.
September 17
The Illinois Wesleyan women’s tennis team is a combined 30-12 in singles and is 6-3 as a team in dual matches heading into two matches on Sun., Sept. 19. The Titans face conference opponent Augustana at noon and will stay on the same courts to meet St. Ambrose in a non-league bout at 3 p.m. Senior captain Diane Arnold is 7-0 at No. 3 singles and Lindsey Irwin is 6-1 playing at No. 1. Freshman Sarah Rusch has stepped in at No. 5 singles, where she has a 4-1 record.
September 12
The Illinois Wesleyan women's tennis team has opened the season with four wins in its first five matches and are 2-0 against College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opponents. Senior captain Diane Arnold and junior Lindsey Irwin are both 5-0 in singles with Arnold playing No. 3 and Irwin playing No. 1. Debbie Bartell at No. 2 and Michelle Donnelly at No. 3 are both 4-1 in singles play. IWU has 9-0 wins over conference opponents Millikin and North Central as well as wins against Illinois-Springfield and Quincy.
September 5
Junior Lindsey Irwin and senior captain Diane Arnold were the lone Illinois Wesleyan women’s tennis players to capture both of their singles matches over the weekend as the Titans defeated Millikin on Sept. 5, 7-0, after falling at Wisconsin-Whitewater on Sept. 3, 7-2. At No. 1 singles, Irwin downed Kristin Chamberlain of UWW, 7-6, 6-4, then beat Alisa Hodges of Millikin, 6-1, 6-1. Playing at No. 3 singles, Arnold defeated Nicole Stamm of UWW, 6-4, 6-3, and topped Millikin’s Lindsey Earhart, 6-0, 6-0.
September 2004
The Illinois Wesleyan women's tennis team will begin its 2004 season with a road match at the University of Illinois at Springfield at 4 p.m. on Fri., Sept. 10. The Titans have their first home match at 10 a.m. on Sat., Sept. 11 against College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opponent North Central. Senior Diane Arnold is the Titans' team captain.
