ORLANDO, Fla. - Sabrina Tang '23 and Ioanna Giannakou '24, who pushed Grinnell College women's tennis to uncharted territory during the 2022-23 campaign, saw those seasons draw to a close Friday at the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Tang became the first two-time NCAA singles qualifier in Pioneer history and teamed with Giannakou to earn the program's first-ever doubles berth.

In a battle of nationally-ranked players, Tang lost a 6-1, 6-1 decision to top-seeded Olivia Soffer of Babson College in the first round. In a touch of coincidence, Tang and Giannakou met Soffer and Babson teammate Matia Cristiani in the opening round of doubles. The Babson duo posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory.

Tang can look back at a historic career at Grinnell. Remarkable feats included setting a program record for career singles victories with 76, finishing third with 130 combined wins and 14th for doubles victories with 54. Tang's career winning percentages in singles and doubles of .792 and .720 rank eighth and 11th, respectively.

Tang mentioned winning the Midwest ITA Regional twice, going to the ITA Cup twice and the NCAA Individual Tourney two times were among top memories. "Also, winning my last home match to set the school record for singles wins was memorable, and going to the NCAAs this year and especially last year, when we made it to the Sweet 16 for the first time. And of course every team meal, van ride, movie and game night when our team got to grow even closer to each other."

Graduating as most likely the finest tennis player in Grinnell women's tennis history, Tang took the opportunity to reflect. "It is definitely a bittersweet feeling to graduate. I've been playing competitive tennis for so long and I'm still trying to picture what my future with tennis will look like. I am very proud that I could set an example for Grinnell tennis players to come, especially since I looked up to the Grinnell tennis team so much as a prospective student and an underclassman. I feel proud that my career has set the stage for Grinnell to achieve national recognition. I'm excited to keep following the team in the years to come and celebrate their achievements!"

Despite the losses Friday, Tang managed to keep a sense of humor. "I didn't sprain my foot (like last year), so that's an improvement. Though we faced off against some tough competition today, I was proud to put up a fight to the bitter end. All the training I put in throughout the season and postseason definitely was put to good use."

Giannakou also noted the tough competition the Grinnell duo faced. "Yes, we were definitely unlucky with the draw. Playing against the Babson team was really hard but we stayed competitive. The final score does not represent all the deuce points we had to play and lost in details. Overall, I felt really good being on the court! I think that Sabrina and I did a lot of the things that we worked on during the season and the last couple of weeks. Even though we lost, we made Grinnell's presence in the tournament felt.

Giannakou's successful campaign boosted her career doubles wins total to 49, 18th-best in program history. "I feel like this year I have been more comfortable with getting into the court and moving towards the net," she explained. "I have also improved my net play, which is especially important for doubles and makes me feel more confident when I'm on the net. Another important part of my game that I am still working on is the mental aspect. I think that this year I learned to control my stress and be confident in my game. I definitely enjoyed my matches more than ever before!"

The trip to nationals will certainly be a springboard for Giannakou next season. "I have definitely gained confidence by seeing that our team can be and deserves to be on a similar level as the best teams in the country," she noted. "This success also adds a lot of pressure not only to repeat what I have achieved, but also to continue Sabrina's legacy. This tournament was a great chance for me to see what I need to work on and improve for next year. I am definitely very excited to see what I do and what our team does next season!"