Dhillon And DiGiovanni Each Win Two Matches Against Juniata For Goucher Women's Tennis
HUNTINGDON, Pa. – The last time Anais Dhillon (Cambridge, England / Hills Road Sixth Form College) competed in a collegiate tennis match, she played her final match with her All-Landmark Conference doubles partner Mandile Mpofu, who graduated in December 2019. That was 541 days ago, but Dhillon did not have any rust in her long-awaited return after winning both of her singles and doubles matches to start the 2021 season against Juniata College on Saturday.
Dhillon earned a 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 1 singles against Juniata to improve to 19-10 in her career in singles play. The 2019 Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year also improved to 15-8 in doubles with new partner Alex DiGiovanni (York, Pa./Dover) thanks to an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles on Saturday.
The name DiGiovanni might sound familiar to Gopher fans if they followed the Blue and Gold women's lacrosse team in 2019. She scored 10 goals in 15 games during her only lacrosse season, and she decided to trade her lacrosse stick for a tennis racket in 2021. DiGiovanni earned the Gophers third win on the day at No. 4 singles, 6-3, 6-2.
Morgan Hartman (Woodstock, Vt./Woodstock Union) played her first action since helping Goucher advance to the Landmark Conference postseason in 2019. Hartman studied abroad in the fall of 2019, and she did not compete last year after the 2020 spring season was halted. The senior lost at No. 2 singles, 6-0, 6-2. Hartman and freshman Aaliyah Ybarra (Bastrop, Texas/Cedar Creek) dropped an 8-3 decision at No. 2 doubles. Ybarra also lost 6-3, 6-0 at No. 3 singles in her collegiate debut.
The Gophers are playing the 2021 season with four players. With those players, Goucher and Juniata each won three matches. Juniata won the match, 6-3.
The Goucher women's tennis team will make its 2021 home debut and play its inaugural match at the Evelyn Dyke Schroedl '62 Tennis Center against Susquehanna University on Saturday, April 3. Match time is 1 p.m. Spectators are not permitted, but Goucher athletics will provide both live video and live stats for the match.
Doubles
(GC) Anais Dhillon/Alex DiGiovanni defeats (JC) Emily Dowler/Jamie Mahigel, 8-3
(JC) Kady Lohr/Emily Sarro defeats (GC) Morgan Hartman/Aaliyah Ybarra, 8-3
(JC) Emma Kramer/Marilyn Ogof defeats (GC) default
Singles
(GC) Dhillon defeats (JC) Dowler, 6-4, 6-3
(JC) Mahigel defeats (GC) Hartman, 6-0, 6-2
(JC) Lohr defeats (GC) Ybarra, 6-3, 6-0
(GC) DiGiovanni defeats (JC) Ogof, 6-3, 6-2
(JC) Sarra defeats (GC) default
(JC) Kramer defeats (GC) default