The Beloit Buccaneers defeated the Prairie Fire tennis team by a score of 8-1 on Saturday morning. Beloit won all of its singles matches, as Knox scored its lone point when the doubles team of Katie Beadling and Rachel Clark defeated Taylor Jones and Emeline Beck of Beloit 8-4. Beloit improves to 12-4 with the win, and Knox drops to 3-11 with the loss.

October 2, 2009

Knox College 0, Lake Forest 9

Knox College lost at Lake Forest, 9-0 on Friday night in a Midwest Conference showdown. The Prairie Fire were unable to notch a point during the match, but the doubles teams of Megan Funk/Jordan Kuban, and Aimee Neilan/Emily Tyl both took their doubles matches to the brink, but were unable to come out victorious.

September 26, 2009

Knox College 2, Carroll University 7

The Prairie Fire women's tennis team lost to Carroll University, 7-2 in early Saturday morning tennis action. Scoring points for the Prairie Fire was sophomore Megan Funk (Springfield, MO/Parkview HS), who defeating Elissa McKinley of Carroll in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Also scoring a win for the Prairie Fire was the doubles team of Emily Tyl (Downers Grove, IL/Benet Academy) and Aimee Neilan (Lake in the Hills, IL/HD Jacobs High) who defeated Samatha Goodwin and Amanda Weckop 8-6. Tyl and Neilan have now won 4 straight doubles matches as a team and are 4-1 for the Prairie Fire this season.

September 25, 2009

Knox College 4, Ripon College 5

The Prairie Fire women's tennis team lost a close match to Ripon College 5-4. Three of the six singles sets went to tiebreakers. Winning for Knox was the number three doubles team: Emily Tyl (Downers Grove, IL - Benet Academy) and Amiee Neilan (Lake in the Hills, IL - HD Jacobs High), Jordan Kuban (Greeley, CO - Greeley Central) in number two singles, Rachel Clark (Newton, IA - Newton) in number four singles and Ginny Graves (Cincinnati, OH - William Fremd) in number five singles. Tyl and Neilan defeated Ripon's Ellie Hedberg and Olivia Wetzel 8-4. In singles, Kuban defeated Ellie Hedberg 6-1, 6-0. Clark defeated Ripon's Brooke Deans 6-4, 6-7 (1-7 in the tiebreaker), and 13-11 in the third set tiebreaker. Graves got the Prairie Fire's fourth point as she won 4-6, 6-3, 10-8.

The Prairie Fire will take on Carroll University tomorrow (Saturday, September 26) morning at 9 a.m.


September 22, 2009

Knox College vs. Illinois College - 4:30 p.m.
The Prairie Fire women's tennis team defeated conference opponent Illinois College 8-1. In number two singles Jordan Kuban (Greeley, CO - Greeley Central) defeated Illinois College's Martha Kwiecinski 6-1, 6-4. In number three singles Rachel Clark (Newton, IA - Newton) defeated Jessica Verdick 6-1, 6-3 and in number four singles senior Ginny Graves (Cincinnati, OH - William Fremd) won against Illinois College's Aoife Burns 6-3, 6-0. Sarah Bolitho (St. Charles, IL - St. Charles East) and Amiee Neilan (Lake in the Hills, IL - HD Jacobs High) both won by default.

In number one doubles Megan Funk (Springfield, MO - Parkview) and Kuban won 8-5. In number two doubles, Neilan and Emily Tyl (Downers Grove, IL - Benet Academy) won 8-0 and in number three doubles Katie Beadling (Portage, MI - Portage) and Clark won by default.

The Prairie Fire are now 2-1 in Midwest Conference play. They will take on Ripon College at home this Friday, September 25 at 4 p.m.

September 17, 2009

Knox College vs. Monmouth College - 4 p.m.
The Prairie Fire women's tennis team defeated the Monmouth College Fighting Scots today 5-4 at home, picking up their first win of the season.

Winning for Knox in singles were Rachel Clark (Newton, IA - Newton), Ginny Graves (Cincinnati, OH - William Fremd), and Sarah Bolitho (St. Charles, IL - St. Charles East). In the number four spot, sophomore Rachel Clark defeated Monmouth's Kiah Henry 7-6, winning the tiebreaker 7-2, and then again 7-6, winning the tiebreaker 7-3. In the number five singles spot, senior Ginny Graves defeated Sarah McLinden 6-1, 6-2. Playing number six singles was freshman Sarah Bolitho who won 6-0, 6-4 against Monmouth's Rachel Bognar.

In number two doubles Katie Beadling (Portage, MI - Portage) and Rachel Clark defeated Nicki Anson and Kiah Henry 8-3. Also winning in doubles was the number three doubles pair - Aimee Neilan (Lake in the Hills, IL - HD Jacobs High) and Emily Tyl (Downers Grove, IL - Benet Academy) who defeated Fighting Scots Sarah McLinden and Rachel Bognar 8-3.

The Prairie Fire will take on conference opponent Illinois College at home on September 22, 2009. The match is set to being at 4:30 p.m.

September 15, 2009

Knox College vs. Augustana College - 4 p.m.
The Prairie Fire women's tennis team lost to Augustana College by a score of 9-0. The Prairie Fire weren't able to score a point against the Vikings, as sophomore Rachael Clark (Newton, IA- Newton High School) and Ginny Graves (Cincinnati, OH- Greeley Central) both lost in third set tiebreakers.

The Prairie Fire will take on rival Monmouth College on September 17th 2009 at 4 p.m. at Knox College.

September 12, 2009

Knox College vs. University of Wisconsin- Stevens Point - 1 p.m.
The Prairie Fire took on the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point in their second match of the day. The lone win for the Prairie Fire came from first year Sarah Bolitho (St. Charles, IL - St. Charles East) who defeated Stevens Point's Monica Preisig 7-6, 5-7, 10-7 in the number five singles spot.

The Prairie Fire will take on Augustana College at 4:30 p.m. at home on September 15.

Knox College vs. Grinnell College - 10 a.m.
The Prairie Fire women's team competed in their second conference match of the season as they took on Grinnell College. The Prairie Fire were unable to score a team point as the Pioneers won 9-0.

September 5, 2009

Knox College vs. University of Wisconsin - La Crosse - 3 p.m.
The Prairie Fire women were unable to bounce back from their earlier loss and UW-La Crosse was able to come in and defeat them 0-9. Sophomore Jordan Kuban (Greeley, CO - Greeley Central) scored the most points as she lost 6-1, 6-2.

The Prairie Fire will take on Grinnell College and the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point on Saturday, September 12.

Knox College vs. Wartburg College - 12 p.m.
The Prairie Fire women's tennis team dropped their second match of the season to Wartburg College 0-9. Sophomore Katie Beadling (Portage, MI - Portage) managed to get the most points from her opponent as she lost 6-1, and 6-2. The Prairie Fire team will take on the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse later today.

September 3, 2009

Knox College vs. Lawrence University - 10 a.m.
The Knox College Prairie Fire women's tennis team lost their first match of the season to conference opponent Lawrence University 7-2. The young Prairie Fire team had a difficult first match as they faced the Vikings who placed second as at team at the MWC tournament last year and first at the MWC tournament in number one singles.

Leading the Prairie Fire was sophomore Jordan Kuban (Greeley, CO-Greeley Central HS), sophomore Rachel Clark (Newton, IA - Newton HS) and senior Ginny Graves (Cincinnati, OH - William Fremd HS). Kuban defeated Katie Schuld 6-2, 6-3 in number three singles while Clark and Graves defeated the Vikings' Katie Schuld and Anica Cihla 8-5 in number three doubles.

In number one singles, sophomore Megan Funk (Springfield, MO - Parkview HS) faced the defending MWC champion, Beth Larson. After dropping her first set 6-0 Funk came back strong in a heated set which ended 6-4 in Larson's favor. Despite the loss, Funk competed well against the conference's top player and will look for her first win this Saturday against Wartburg at noon.