Henry Schneiderman
Sports Editor
On Saturday, Feb. 1, the Fighting Scots women’s tennis team ventured to Alliance, Ohio to take on the Mount Union University Purple Raiders in a series of intense matchups. Coming off the heels of a successful fall season — concluding with a strong showing at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Regional Tournament — the Scots hoped to begin their spring campaign with a win over Mount Union.
This match came as the first in a week of celebration of athletics and accomplishment with National Girls & Women in Sports Day — a day to honor and celebrate the efforts and achievements of girls and women in sports — nationally recognized on Wednesday, Feb. 5. After a hard fought day of competition, the Scots conquered the Raiders, 5-2.
The day yielded numerous highlights for Wooster. Janaki Jagannathan ’25 achieved a remarkable accomplishment as she reached a total of 90 singles wins in her collegiate career with her 6-2, 7-5 victory over Mount Union’s Amelia Francisco ’26. The senior later paired up with Elyse Errington ’28 to take on the Purple Raiders’ Emily Peel ’26 and Francisco in a victorious matchup for the Scots, 6-2.
Wooster’s Stephanie Murarus ’28 also found success as she delivered a commanding singles performance against Peel with a 6-1, 6-4 scoreline. Another newcomer to the Fighting Scots’ squad, Kamila Kadirova ’28, collected another point with a decisive singles victory over the Raiders’ Marianna Farmakidis ’28 at 6-4 and 6-1. Shortly after, Jade Adkins ’28 reached a career milestone as she amassed her first collegiate win over the Raiders’ Emily Borchert ’27 to grab the momentous match point for Wooster, solidifying the Scots’ dominance of the singles scene.
“Honestly, it felt great to be back in the field,” Adkins said. “I always enjoyed the adrenaline of a sport when I compete when you know you got the upper hand. I didn’t have any fear nor worry, I just enjoy the competition.”
In doubles action, Wooster continued their success as they captured the doubles points with several wins in the competition. Sarah Mashaal ’26 and Murarus teamed up to defeat Mount Union’s Jillian Lohnes ’28 and Borchert, 6-4. This victory, accompanied by Jagannathan’s and Errington’s earlier win, saw Wooster take home the doubles crown. The Scots walked away with an assertive 5-2 victory for the day.
“It felt good; our team has gone through a lot of changes in the last few months, with new teammates coming in, so we had to adapt and build team rapport quickly,” Jagannathan said. “I am very proud of the team and how much effort we put into practices and the match last weekend. I feel hopeful about our season and am excited to compete and grow closer as a team.”
This sentiment was echoed by Adkins, who cited the team’s camaraderie as reflective of The College of Wooster’s culture. “So far this season, we just kept rooting for each other, as the Fighting Scots we are to show pride and respect for one another,” Adkins said. With this win under their belts, the Scots have developed confidence for the season’s remaining results with Adkins stating that, “I can picture our success all together. While there may be times where we may eventually lose a game, we will still mentally feel like a winner for the hard effort we put in.”
The Fighting Scots will host Baldwin Wallace University at Wooster’s Aspen Racquet Club this Sunday, Feb 9, at 11 a.m. Go Scots!
