NOTRE DAME, Ind. - The Saint Mary's tennis team kicked off the conference portion of their schedule with a 6-3 victory over in-state rival Trine on Saturday afternoon at the Eck Tennis Pavilion at the University of Notre Dame.
Elizabeth Preister and
Alyssa Gulli jumped out to a big lead at three doubles and never looked back en route to an 8-1 victory.
Lilly Chamberlin and
Lily Brandt were trailing 5-4 before taking back-to-back games for a 6-5 lead at two doubles. Their Trine counterparts won the ensuing game to make it 6-6. With the next game at deuce, the Saint Mary's duo prevailed for a crucial 7-6 lead and took the next game to clinch the 8-6 win.
Monica Davy and
Megan Davy nearly made a huge comeback at one doubles. The pair fell behind 6-1 before rattling off three consecutive games, which included breaking serve twice, to make it 6-4. After falling in the next game, the Davy duo broke serve to stay alive at 7-5 and held serve to make it 7-6. Their opponents, however, held serve to take the one doubles match by an 8-6 score.
Preister was dominant in her five singles match as the senior was quick to take a 6-1, 6-0 win.
Megan Davy put the Belles within a point of the team decision by claiming a strong 6-0, 6-3 win at two singles. Chamberlin then clinched the win with a decisive 6-1, 6-2 victory at four singles.
Monica Davy was stopped short in a 6-1, 6-2 match at one singles. Brandt was narrowly edged out in her first set 7-5 and fell in the second set by a 6-1 score. Gulli had a big comeback at three singles. After finishing the first set on the short side of a 6-4 score, the freshman stormed back for a 4-1 lead in the second set before forcing tiebreaker with a 6-2 set win. In the tiebreaker, Gulli used the momentum of the second-set win to jump out to a 7-1 lead before winning 10-2.
Nicole Becker and
Jenna Jaskolka won an 8-2 exhibition doubles match. Becker went on to win 6-2 at exhibition singles. Jaskolka dropped a 6-4 exhibition singles match, and
Carolyn Podawiltz was on the short end of a 6-2 exhibition singles competition.
The Belles (8-6, 1-0 MIAA) wrap up a busy week of competition with a match against Olivet at either Minges Creek Athletic Club on Sunday starting at 1:00 p.m.
