MISHAWAKA, Ind. - The Saint Mary's tennis team suffered their first loss of the season with a 7-2 setback against No. 19 regionally-ranked Hope on Friday night.

 

Alayna Campbell and Emma Kealy had an early deficit in their one doubles match. Campbell held serve to get the tandem on the scoreboard at 5-1, but the two could not get the comeback effort to take off in an 8-1 final. After dropping the opening game, Leah Hosang held serve with teammate Lucy Chamberlin to tie their two doubles match at a game apiece. The pair continued to battle after being down 3-2 before ending on the short end of an 8-3 match. Evelyn Demblans-Dechans and Kathleen McLeod were down 2-0 before Demblans-Dechans held serve and the pair broke serve after deuce to knot the score at 2-2 at three doubles. The pair, however, were unable to take a lead in an 8-4 setback in their match.

 

Chamberlin took the opening game in her one singles match but was stopped in a 6-2, 6-0 final. Alayna Campbell jumped out to a lead in her two singles competition, but the sophomore saw some breaks go the other way and turn the table in a 6-4, 6-1 setback. Evelyn Demblans-Dechans powered her way to a 6-1 win in her opening set and fought off a comeback in the second set for a 6-4 win at six singles. Emma Kealy had a hard-fought three singles match and was edged out in a tight second set in a 6-2, 6-4 final. Similarly, Kathleen McLeod was narrowly beaten in a 6-4 opening set and fell short in a 6-2 second set at five singles. Leah Hosang trailed 4-3 in her opening stanza and faced a 6-5 deficit before forcing a tiebreaker and winning 7-4 for a 7-6 first-set decision. Hosang jumped out to a quick 4-1 lead and closed out the straight-set win with a 6-3 victory in the second frame.

 

Several Belles saw competition in exhibition play. Kalyn Borger and Hannah Gerner won an 8-1 doubles match. Annika Smith fell 8-1, and Katie Hunter had an 8-2 setback in exhibition singles play. Ava Stengle, meanwhile, earned a 6-1 exhibition singles win on the night.

 

The 13-consecutive wins to begin the season is the most to start a year under head coach Dale Campbell and was the most wins to start a year in at least 20 years of tennis program history.

 

The Belles (13-1, 3-1 MIAA) are on the road on Sunday as they travel to Kalamazoo for a 1:00 p.m. conference match.

 

 

 

#19 Hope College 7, Saint Mary's College 2
 Singles competition
1. #24 Amanda Lopykinski (HOPE) def. Lucy Chamberlin (SMC) 6-2, 6-0
2. Sullivan Moran (HOPE) def. Alayna Campbell (SMC) 6-4, 6-1
3. Annika Weeber (HOPE) def. Emma Kealy (SMC) 6-2, 6-4
4. Leah Hosang (SMC) def. Miyako Coffey (HOPE) 7-6 (7-4), 6-3
5. Hope Rhoades (HOPE) def. Kathleen McLeod (SMC) 6-4, 6-2
6. Evelyn Demblans-Dechans (SMC) def. Taylor Truman (HOPE) 6-1, 6-4

 Doubles competition
1. Amanda Lopykinski/Sullivan Moran (HOPE) def. Alayna Campbell/Emma Kealy (SMC) 8-1
2. Miyako Coffey/Taylor Truman (HOPE) def. Lucy Chamberlin/Leah Hosang (SMC) 8-3
3. Annika Weeber/Delanie Riebschleger (HOPE) def. Kathleen McLeod/Evelyn Demblans-Dechans (SMC) 8-4

Match Notes:
Hope College 8-5, 3-0 MIAA; Regional ranking #19
Saint Mary's College 13-1, 3-1 MIAA
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (1,2,6,3,5,4)
Exhibition: Borger/Gerner (SMC) def. McNally/Lee (HOPE), 8-1
Bowen (HOPE) def. Smith (SMC), 8-1
Trojan (HOPE) def. Hunter (SMC), 8-2
Stengle (SMC) def. Klanseck (HOPE), 6-1