University of St. Francis opened its 2009 women's tennis season in grand style winning the Millikin University Dorothy McClure Invitational on Saturday. As a team, the Saints went 17-1 on the day including a 6-0 victory over host Millikin and a 5-1 win over Concordia University. USF also won its exhibition match with Rend Lake College, 6-0.

Five different USF players went 3-0 on the day including newcomer Katie Kipping (Newman Central Catholic H.S./Dixon, IL), who was making her collegiate debut. All three of her wins came in the No. 1 singles position.

Junior Corinne Lutz (Minooka H.S./Minooka, IL) also won each of her three matches at No. 3 as did sophomore Agnieszka Belza (Nazareth Academy/Chicago, IL) at No. 4, senior Carla Braun (Lincoln-Way Central H.S./New Lenox, IL) at No. 5 and junior Barb Koziol (Reavis H.S./Burbank, IL) in the No. 6 spot.

Sophomore Danielle Emola (Lincoln-Way East H.S./Frankfort, IL) produced another two victories in the second position.

The Saints take on Moraine Valley Community College (Sept. 1) and Waubonsee College (Sept. 3) in a pair of exhibition matches before returning to varsity competition on Sept. 5 when they meet Illinois Wesleyan University and North Central College in Naperville.