ATLANTA – The Millsaps women's tennis team placed strong performances and achieved solid finishes at the 2025 ITA DIII Women's South Regional Championships hosted by Emory University, Sept. 26-28 at the Woodruff PE Center Tennis Courts.
In the women's open singles, sophomore Riley McClain topped her opponent 6-4 to start her day off strong in the open singles bracket. However, her opponent would win the second set 7-5 and claim a tiebreak (6-4) to conclude the match.
In the consultation matchups, freshman Bella-Bennett Graham won against her contender due to an injury.
Sophomore Malakie Smith single-handedly downed her contestant from Agnes Scott, 6-1 in set one and 6-0 in set two in the consolation draw.
Classmate Skylar Spinks went head-to-head against her challenger in the first set. Her opponent would finish strong to take the match following a 7-6, 6-2 triumph, with the first set featuring a 7-3 tiebreak.
In the women's open doubles, Spinks and Smith joined together to dominate their opponents from Agnes Scott, 8-1, led by their powerful swings to close out their competition with great teamwork.
McClain and senior Alexis Oliver both teamed up looking for a victory as well. Their opponents would close out strong to take an 8-4 win.
After capping off the ITA South Regionals on Friday, Millsaps would look to respond in a positive way in the opening doubles on Saturday. McClain and Oliver worked well together, communicating and playing effectively. Tied at 7-7, their challengers would win their matchup in a thrilling 10-8 tiebreaker.
| MILLSAPS RESULTS |
|
| Friday Sept. 26 |
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| Women's Open Singles - Round of 64 |
| Xuanyu Chen (Emory) def. Skylar Spinks, 6-1, 6-0 |
| Kennedy Herring (Centre) def. Riley McClain, 4-6, 7-5, [6-4] |
| Skylar Keesee (Centre) def. Alexis Oliver, 6-3, 6-1 |
| Hanna Davis (Sewanee) def. Bella-Bennett Graham, 6-0, 6-0 |
| Karenna Thurman (Centre) def. Malakie Smith, 6-0, 6-3 |
|
| Consolation |
| Bella-Bennett Graham def. Lucy Mitchell (Centre), Injury |
| Lexi Barbee (Sewanee) def. Skylar Spinks, 7-6 (3), 6-2 |
| Malakie Smith def. Jasmine Ziller (Agnes Scott), 6-1, 6-0 |
|
| Women's Open Doubles - Round of 32 |
| Lee / High (Sewanee) def. McClain / Oliver, 8-4 |
| Spinks / Smith def. Ziller / Kayla (Agnes Scott), 8-1 |
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| Women's Open Doubles - Round of 16 |
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| Higgins / Rask (Rhodes) def. Spinks / Smith, 8-1 |
|
| Saturday Sept. 27 |
|
| Open Doubles Semifinal |
| May / Violet def. McClain / Oliver, 8-7 (8) |
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Founded in Jackson, Mississippi in 1890, Millsaps College is a national liberal arts college dedicated to academic excellence, open inquiry and free expression, the exploration of faith to inform vocation and the innovative shaping of the social, economic and cultural progress of our region. Consistently ranked as one of the best values in higher education, Millsaps has been praised by Colleges That Change Lives, The Princeton Review, Forbes Magazine, U.S. News & World Report, The John Templeton Foundation, and The Fiske Guide to Colleges.
