No. 23 Women’s tennis competes at Carolina Kickoff

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The No. 23 Wisconsin women’s tennis team began its spring season at the Carolina Kickoff hosted by the University of South Carolina. The round robin tournament took place on Saturday, Jan. 13 through Monday, Jan. 15, with the team competing against ACC and SEC members, South Carolina, Auburn, and Wake Forest. 

Head coach Kelcy McKenna‘s team joined as a group for the first time in 2024 after a busy individual fall schedule, traveling to meets all over the country.

Saturday, Jan. 13

Doubles
Xinyu Cai/Alina Mukhortova def. Arseneault/Flach, 6-2 (Auburn)
Carnicella/Bennett def. Ariel Johnson/Kája Jacobson, 6-2 (Auburn)

Esposito Cogan/DeSpain def. Taylor Cataldi/Rosie Garcia Gross, 6-4 (Auburn)
Ahmad/Carton def. Ava Martin/Ellison Reynoldson, 6-4 (Wake Forest)

Singles

Ava Martin def. Anna Kantor, 1-6, 6-1, 1-0 (9) (South Carolina)

(42) Casie Wooten def. (67) Maria Sholokhova, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 (Wake Forest) 

Taylor Cataldi def. Brooke Killingsworth, 6-0, 6-1 (Wake Forest)
(87) Xinyu Cai def. Marcella Cruz, 6-4, 6-0 (Wake Forest) 
Alina Mukhortova def. Nevena Carton, 7-5, 6-4 (Wake Forest)
Ariel Johnson def. Sankavi Gownder, 6-3, 6-4 (Wake Forest)
Kája Jacobson def. Krystal Blanch, 7-6 (5), 6-3 (Wake Forest)
Ellison Reynoldson def. Mia Ahmad, 7-5, 6-3 (Wake Forest)
Rosie Garcia Gross def. Jingyi Li, 6-2, 6-2 (Wake Forest)

Sunday, Jan. 14

Doubles
Maria Sholokhova/Alina Mukhortova def. Brooke Killingsworth/Marcella Cruz, 6-3 (Wake Forest)
Xinyu Cai/Kája Jacobson def. Cassie Wooten/Sankavi Gownder, 6-4 (Wake Forest)
Taylor Cataldi/Ariel Johnson def. Whitley Pate/Nevena Carton, 7-6 (4) (Wake Forest)
Mia Ahmad/Jingyi Li def. Ava Martin/Rosie Garcia Gross, 7-6 (5), (Wake Forest)

Singles

(6) Ayana Akli def. Taylor Catladi, 6-2, 6-4 (South Carolina)

(67) Maria Sholokhova def. (4) Sarah Hamner, 6-4, 6-4 (South Carolina)

(76) Shahar Biran def. (87) Xinyu Cai, 6-1, 7-5 (South Carolina)

Alina Mukhortova def. Misa Malkin, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 (South Carolina)

Ariel Johnson def. Elise Mills, 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 (South Carolina)

Olympe Lancelot def. Kája Jacobson, 7-5, 5-7, 6-3 (South Carolina)

Ellison Reynoldson def. Anna Kantor, 7-6 (3), 6-0 (South Carolina)

Monday, Jan. 15

Doubles

Ayana Akli/Olympe Lancelot def. Taylor Cataldi/Maria Sholokhova, 6-3 (South Carolina)

Sarah Hamner/Misa Malkin…