Baylor Women's Tennis Opens Season with Gritty 4-3 Win Over Illinois
WACO, Texas - The Baylor women’s tennis team kicked off its 2026 campaign with a hard-fought 4-3 win over Illinois at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Facility on Saturday afternoon. The Bears, ranked No. 25 nationally, leaned on their doubles strength and a trio of strong singles performances to edge out the Fighting Illini and start the season 1-0 for the second year in a row.
Doubles Delivers the Early Edge
The tone was set early in doubles, where Baylor’s top pair of Daniella Dong and Paula Kubacha - ranked No. 61 in the nation - wasted no time asserting themselves. They rolled to a 6-2 win on Court One over Illinois’ No. 60-ranked duo, showcasing sharp net play and aggressive returns that put the visitors on their heels from the start.
Illinois responded on Court Three with a 6-3 win, leaving the doubles point hanging in the balance on Court Two. That’s where Kennedy Gibbs and Alian Zack stepped up in a tense back-and-forth battle. Tied at 5-5, the Baylor pair found another gear, closing it out 7-5 to secure the doubles point and give the Bears an early 1-0 lead.
Singles Seals the Deal
Momentum carried into singles, where Kennedy Gibbs wasted no time extending Baylor’s lead. She was locked in from the jump on Court Three, taking control early and cruising to a 6-4, 6-0 win.
That opened the door for freshman Mu-Jie Tzeng to make her mark in her first collegiate dual match. Playing with poise beyond her years, Tzeng delivered a 6-2, 6-3 win on Court Five to push the Bears within one point of clinching.
That moment came on Court Two, where Paula Kubacha capped off a dominant afternoon with a convincing 6-1, 6-2 victory. Her aggressive baseline play and court coverage overwhelmed her opponent and sealed the team win for Baylor.
Illinois Claws Back Late
With the match already decided, Illinois showed some fight in the remaining contests. Gabrielle Villegas dropped her match on Court Six, 6-4, 6-0, while Alian Zack fell 6-3, 6-1 on Court Four.
The final match of the day featured a gritty battle on Court One, where Daniella Dong bounced back from a rough first set to force a deciding tiebreak. After dropping the opener 6-2, she regrouped to take the second 6-3. The third set came down to a 10-point super tiebreaker, and while Dong pushed it to the wire, she ultimately fell 10-7 in a back-and-forth finish.
Coach’s Take
After the win, the message from the Baylor sideline was clear: this team has put in the work, and it’s paying off.
“I’m really proud of the team,” said head coach Joey Scrivano. “They worked really hard to prepare for this one.
We had two really hard and long weeks of training camp, and then we played in Knoxville last weekend and grew a lot in those two weeks. We have a young team, so to see how much they’ve grown in that time is really impressive.”
Looking ahead to a quick turnaround, Scrivano emphasized the need to stay focused.
“I feel good,” he said. “We’ve just got to learn from today and take it into tomorrow. We’ve got a lot of work to do in the next 24 hours, and we’ve got to learn a lot about Tulane - that’s our job right now.”
Up Next
The Bears return to action Sunday at noon, hosting Tulane at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center. After a gritty season opener, Baylor will look to build on its early momentum and keep the win column growing.