BLOOMINGTON, Ill. — Top-seeded North Central College and second-seeded Wheaton College advanced to the championship match of the 2026 CCIW Women’s Tennis Championship with 4-1 semifinal victories Friday at the Evergreen Racquet Club.
 
The championship match is scheduled for Saturday at 12 p.m. It will be the fourth meeting in the last five years between North Central and Wheaton in the CCIW tournament final. North Central has won all contested CCIW championships since 2020, while Wheaton is seeking its first conference title since 2019.
 
#1 North Central def. #4 Augustana, 4-1
North Central earned a 4-1 win over Augustana in Friday’s first semifinal. The Cardinals secured the doubles point with victories from Kensington Payne and Abigail Penados at No. 1 doubles, 6-4, and Sophia Drozd and Meghan McSweeney at No. 2 doubles, 6-3.
 
In singles play, Penados won at No. 1 singles over Hannah Colbert, 6-1, 6-3. Kate Herlihy added a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 4 singles, while McSweeney won 7-5, 6-4 at No. 5 singles to help North Central clinch the dual.
 
Augustana’s Kassidy Anderson picked up a singles point when she defeated Drozd, 6-1, 7-5. The matches at No. 2 and No. 3 singles were unfinished after the team result was decided.
 
#2 Wheaton def. #3 Carthage, 4-1
Wheaton advanced with a 4-1 win over third-seeded Carthage in the second semifinal. The Thunder took the doubles point with wins from Janet Kondo and Ella Malone at No. 2 doubles, 6-2, and Mia Luo and Carly O’Leary at No. 3 doubles, 6-4.
 
Carthage won the No. 1 doubles match, as the team of Rya Arreazola and Greta Peterson defeated Madeline Gentry and Tatum Thurstone, 6-3.
 
Gentry responded in singles play with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 1 singles. Kondo added a 7-5, 6-3 win, and Sophie Dew recorded a 6-4, 6-2 victory to account for Wheaton’s remaining team points.
 
Carthage’s singles point came from Niki Manojlovic, who defeated Malone, 6-0, 6-1, at No. 3 singles.