The UW-Whitewater women's tennis team, ranked twenty-seventh nationally, fell to a pair of nationally ranked opponents in the first day of action in the Midwest Invitational in Madison Friday.  The University of Chicago, number three in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Division III poll, defeated UW-W 6-3, and fourteenth ranked DePauw University won 6-3.  Regionally, Chicago is the number one team in the ITA's Central Region, DePauw is number four, and UW-Whitewater is listed seventh.  The Midwest Invitational gathers the top eight Division III women's tennis teams from the upper midwest

University of Chicago 6, UW-Whitewater 3
singles
1.  Kendra Higgins, UC, defeated Kalla Schaefer (Madison/Madison Memorial), WW, 6-1, 6-2
2.  Jennifer Kung, UC, defeated Annie Smith (Algonquin, IL/H.D. Jacobs), WW, 6-0, 7-5
3.  Carmen Vaca Guzman, UC, defeated Amy Siemon (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South), WW, 6-2, 6-1
4.  Linden Li, UC, defeated Megan Kasten (Verona/Verona), WW, 6-3, 6-1
5.  Sydney Divelbiss (Middleton/Middleton), WW, defeated Shanelle Trail, UC, 6-3, 6-1
6.  Alexandra Bayliss (Sheboygan/North), WW, defeated Aswini Krishnan, UC, 6-4, 7-5
doubles
1.  Guzman/Li, UC, defeaated Schaefer/Bayliss, 8-4
2.  Kung/Krishnan, UC, defeated, Siemon/Lauren Aguilar (Gurnee, IL/Carmel Catholic ), WW, 8-3
3.  Smith/Divelbiss, WW, defeated Higgins/Trail, UC, 8-4

Chicago's Higgins and Kung are the number one and two ranked singles players in the ITA Division III Central Region.  UC is 13-2 in dual meets.  For Whitewater, Bayliss upped his record to 29-3, tops on the team.  Divelbiss improved to 22-4, and she upped her doubles mark with Smith to 18-7.

DePauw University 6, UW-Whitewater 3
singles
1.  Janelle Arita, DU, defeated Kalla Schaefer (Madison/Madison Memorial), WW, 6-7, 6-2. 6-2
2.  Kelly Gebert, DU, defeated Annie Smith (Algonquin, IL/H.D. Jacobs), WW, 6-7, 6-2
3.  Tricia Wilks, DU, defeated Amy Siemon (Crystal Lake, IL/Crystal Lake South), WW, 6-2. 3-6. 6-1
4.  Meg Crowley, DU, defeated Megan Kasten (Verona/Verona), WW, 7-5, 6-2
5.  Sydney Divelbiss (Middleton/Middleton), WW, defeated Elizabeth Young, DU, 6-2, 6-1
6.  Alexandra Bayliss (Sheboygan/North), WW, defeated Katie Regan, DU, 6-3, 3-6 (10-8)
doubles
1.  Schaefer/Bayliss, WW, defeated Arita/Gebert, DU, 9-8 (6)
2.  Crowley/Young, DU, defeated Smith/Divelbiss, WW, 8-4
3.  Willks/Lizzy Whitlatch, DU, defeated Siemon/Aguilar, WW, 8-3

Bayliss, 30-3 on the season, broke the school record for most wins at a flight other than number one singles.  Her two wins Friday broke her tie with the previous record holder, and current teammate, Annie Smith (Algonquin, IL/H.D. Jacobs).  Smith accumulated 28 wins during the 2008-2009 school year.  With her two wins Friday Sydney Divelbiss (Middleton/Middleton) is 23-4.

The win by the Warhawk duo of Schaefer and Bayliss at number one was a major upset.  Schaefer, just 7-4 this season, beat the sixth ranked doubles team in the Central Region.

UW-W is 18-5 in dual meets.  DePauw is 8-6.

UW-W will conclude play in the Midwest Invitational with a match at 10:00 a.m. against Luther College, number nine in the ITA Central Region.  The match will take place at the Nielsen Tennis Center in Madison, Wisconsin.

For additional information:  Frank Barnes