This weekend, the odds were not in favor of the Belles tennis team. After two hard fought battles, the team fell in a 5-2 loss against Spring Arbor and a tough 4-3 defeat against Goshen.
Spring Arbor
The day did not start off strong for the Belles with two losses against Spring Arbor in the doubles competition.
Alayna Campbell and partner Evelyn Demblans-Dechans took a 6-3 loss in the first doubles match against opponents Rebekah Pake and Moorea McNalley. Sophomore Emma Kealy and her partner Anna Gardner also suffered a 6-1 loss against Victoria Herrington and Makenzi Sells.
However, despite the overall loss in doubles play, freshman Grace Clearwater and her partner sophomore Hannah Gerner did their best to establish some momentum for the Belles. Without hesitation, Clearwater and Gerner gained an early lead and closed out a 6-3 win over opponents Isabel Abraham and Madelyn Dell.
Singles play didn't prove in favor of the Belles either against Spring Arbor, with St Mary's losing four of six individual matches.
Campbell took the first loss of the contest in the first singles match. The junior fell down in the count in the first set, losing 6-2, before losing 6-0 in the second set against Moorea McNalley.
Emma Kealy also suffered a loss in her match against Victoria Herrington in the second singles match. Kealy lost both sets with a 6-0 loss and a 6-3 defeat against Herrington.
On the opposite side of the court, freshman Anna Gardner and Hannah Gerner gained the two victories for the Belles.
Gardner won the first set 6-2, but fell in the second 6-4 to send the match into a tie breaker. Gardener fought and eventually won 1-0 over Isabel Abraham in the decisive third set. Additionally, Gerner did not hesitate to take an early lead, winning her first set 6-1 before winning her second set 7-5 to gain the win over Belle Sexton.
Goshen
The Belles were ready to fight back when it came time to face Goshen. The Belles struck first, winning the doubles point over the Maple Leafs.
Kealy and Gardner fought back and gained a 6-4 win over Goshen in the second doubles contest. Alongside them, Clearwater and Gerner gained a victory by default due to forfeit by Goshen.
In singles play, however, the Belles did not get the results that they hoped for. Campbell, Gardner and Kealy all fell short of beating opponents Goshen. However, sophomore Hannah Gerner and senior Katie Hunter fought to get a pair of points for the team.
Gerner lost the first set in her match 6-2 but tied the match by winning the second set 6-1. Going into the tie breaker, Gerner won 1-0, gaining a first singles win for the Belles in the fifth individual match. In the sixth and final singles match of the day, senior Katie Hunter earned the last point for the Belles by winning by default due to a forfeit by Goshen.
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