MOUNT VERNON –  The Cornell women's tennis team continued a successful season, hosting the Purple & White Invitational, welcoming Coe College, Wartburg College and Grinnell College for an individual flighted event at both Cornell's tennis courts and Mount Vernon High School courts.

The Rams posted a 12-9 record overall, while Grinnell finished 18-5, Wartburg 10-12, and Coe 0-14 respectively during the event.

Sophomores Mac Graves and Tansy Graves played in the first flight, collecting three wins over Coe, two in singles and one in doubles. In the second round of the day, the sisters played tightly contested matches against Grinnell in the afternoon. The duo fell in a close 7-5 doubles match, followed by two singles wins, Mac Graves winning 7-5, 6-1 and Tansy Graves pulling through in a tiebreaker 7-5, 6-7(1), 10-7. Both Graves' concluded the weekend with a strong season start of identical 9-1 individual records, leading the team thus far. 

In Flight 2, freshman Alyssa Flynn and junior Audrey Small started well in the morning, both winning a singles match and collecting a doubles win together over Coe. Continuing into the afternoon, the two lost hard-fought singles matches against Grinnell, and also dropped a close doubles match 7-5.

In the last two flights, freshman Jenna Benkufsky and sophomores Isabella Wallin and Kaylee Hillyard competed for the Rams, going 3-7 overall. Wallin and Benkufsky went 1-1 in doubles, losing to Grinnell 6-4, then winning against Wartburg 6-4. The pair also fell in both singles matches to Grinnell, but both picked up wins in singles against Wartburg, Benkufsky 6-0, 6-4 and Wallin with another comeback, going 7-6 (4), 5-7, 10-7 after being down 2-5 in the first set. Hillyard also played four matches, dropping a back-and-forth affair against Wartburg's Heather Leek 7-5, 6-4.

Coming up – The Rams open Midwest Conference play Saturday, Sept. 14, against Illinois College and Monmouth at home. First serve against the Lady Blues is set for 9:00 am.