Lady Elks Close Out Season

ATHERTON, CA - The Stanton University Lady Elks concluded their regular season with a gritty performance in the Bay Area this past weekend, facing off against NCAA Division II Menlo College. While the matchup was high-stakes, the primary opponent early on was the Northern California weather; heavy rain forced a multi-hour delay, testing the team's focus before they could finally take the courts.

Doubles Play

The afternoon started as a steep uphill climb for the Elks. Despite pushing the Oaks to the limit in two of the three matches, Stanton was unable to secure the doubles point. Both the duos of Paula Rodriguez Velayos/Cheyenne Houkes and Waraporn (Kimmy) Muangpho/Polina Buenina fell in narrow 5-7 battles, while Emilse Ruiz/Emili Maljawskij dropped their set 3-6.

Singles Comeback

Trailing 0-1 heading into singles, the Lady Elks displayed remarkable depth to mount a comeback. Emilse Ruiz set the tone at the top of the lineup, navigating a tense first-set tiebreaker to win 7-6(5), 6-1. The momentum shifted rapidly as Polina Buenina (6-4, 6-1) and Emili Maljawskij (6-3, 6-3) both secured clinical straight-set victories.

The match of the day belonged to Cheyenne Houkes, who survived a three-set marathon to clinch her point with a thrilling 6-1, 4-6, 7-6(5) win. While Kimmy Muangpho fought through a tough 0-6, 1-6 loss, the Elks had already done enough to put the match in their hands.

The rain ultimately had the final word. Paula Rodriguez Velayos was locked in a third-set thriller, leading 5-4 after sets of 3-6, 7-5, when the weather returned to leave her match unfinished. However, with four singles victories in the books, the Lady Elks head into the post-season with major momentum after a resilient showing against D2 competition.