DePaul Picks Up Five Wins at Rocket Invitational

Friday, October 10

Toledo, Ohio

All Day

DePaul University

Rocket Invitational

DePaul Picks Up Five Wins at Rocket Invitational

10/10/2025 11:10:00 PM | WOMEN'S TENNIS

Smith goes unbeaten in singles matches

TOLEDO, Ohio – Senior Hannah Smith earned two singles victories on the first day of the Rocket Invitational on Friday.

Singles competition began at 9 a.m. CT from the UT Varsity Tennis Courts. Smith battled the Rockets' Anastasia Akuginova in her first match of the day. After dropping the first set, 4-6, Smith regained control of the match, winning the next two sets, 6-3, 10-6.

Freshman Clara Nilsson also came away victorious in a singles three-set thriller. Nilsson was in control early with a 6-4 first-set victory. The lead slipped away after Gaby Rondon won set two 6-1, forcing a tiebreaker set. Nilsson displayed mental and physical resiliency to win the tiebreaker 10-7 and claim the match.

Helin Alvarez delivered a quick victory in her first match of the morning against Iva Jankovic with a 6-4, 6-1 score.

Freshman Yasemin Pehlivan battled hard in the first singles session, but fell 6-2, 7-6 (2) to Neha Guru.

In the second session of singles that started at 1 p.m. CT, Pehlivan beat Iva Jankovic, 6-3, 6-1 for a straight-set triumph, and the Blue Demons' fourth win of the day.

Smith's second match of the day rounded out play for DePaul. The Silchester, England native faced Jone Ibanez, swiftly winning, 6-0, 6-1.

The Scarlet and Blue dropped all three doubles matches on day one. Smith and Nilsson stayed in the match against JJ Scholten and Guru, but the Toledo duo proved too much, taking the match
6-4.

Rocket Invitational
October 10, 2025
UT Varsity Tennis Courts
Toledo, Ohio

Singles
JJ Scholten (TOL) def. Sasha Stula (DEP), 6-4, 7-5
Hannah Smith (DEP) def. Anastasia Akuginova (TOL), 4-6, 6-3, 10-6
Jone Ibanez (TOL) def. Roberta Sechi (DEP), 6-4, 6-1
Helin Alvarez (DEP) def. Iva Jankovic (TOL), 6-4, 6-1
Neha Guru (TOL) def. Yasemin Pehlivan (DEP), 6-2, 7-6(2)
Clara Nilsson (DEP) def. Gaby Rondon (TOL), 6-4, 1-6, 10-7
Neha Guru (TOL) def. Roberta Sechi (DEP), 6-4, 4-6, 10-5
Hannah Smith (DEP) def. Jone Ibanez (TOL), 6-0, 6-1
Annika Munson (TOL) def. Helin Alvarez (DEP), 6-3, 6-1
Yasemin Pehlivan (DEP) def. Iva Jankovic (TOL), 6-3, 6-1
Anastasia Akuginova (TOL) def. Sasha Stula (DEP), 6-3, 6-2
Cat Rhegness (TOL) def. Clara Nilsson (DEP), 6-1, 7-6 (7)

Doubles
JJ Scholten (TOL)/Neha Guru (TOL) def. Hannah Smith (DEP)/Clara Nilsson (DEP), 6-4
Isabella Barretto (TOL)/Anastasia Akuginova (TOL) def. Sasha Stula (DEP)/Helin Alvarez (DEP), 6-1
Annika Munson (TOL)/Jone Ibanez (TOL) def. Roberta Sechi (DEP)/Yasemin Pehlivan (DEP), 6-0

UP NEXT
DePaul is back in action Saturday morning for the final day of competition.

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