Posted: Feb 15, 2020
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The Saint Mary's tennis team bounced back from a 4-3 setback against Aquinas and claimed a 6-3 victory against Spring Arbor in their first two matches of the spring season on Saturday at the MVP Sportsplex in Michigan.
The first match of the day against Aquinas followed the NAIA scoring format which sees the three doubles results combined for one team point rather than each flight counting individually. The second match against Spring Arbor followed the NCAA Division III format of each flight in both doubles and singles counting as a point toward the team score.
Against Aquinas, the Belles had a solid performance in doubles play. Nicole Becker and Meredith Heckert helped put Saint Mary's in good position early with a 6-3 win at three doubles. Megan Davy and Alyssa Gulli assured the team point in the doubles column with a 6-2 decision at the top flight, and Lilly Chamberlin and Lucy Chamberlin teamed up for a 6-3 win at two doubles.
In singles play, the Saints took four of the six flights against the Belles for the team decision. Lily Brandt had a 6-0, 6-0 setback at five singles, and Meredith Heckert came up on the short end of a 6-4, 6-0 final at two singles. Alyssa Guilli had a tight 6-4, 6-2 loss at three singles. Lucy Chamberlin held off a comeback-minded opponent in her four singles match with a 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (10-2) win to make the overall score 3-2. Lilly Chamberlin then drew the Belles even overall with a 6-3, 7-6 (7-1) win at six singles. Megan Davy was on the wrong side of a 6-0, 6-1 final at one singles as Aquinas claimed the 4-3 final.
Several exhibition matches took place against Aquains. Lily Brandt and Kathleen McLeod picked up a 6-1 doubles win. Nicole Becker fell in an 8-5 pro set singles match. McLeod, meanwhile, had an 8-6 singles win against the Saints.
In the match against Spring Arbor, the Belles battled back from a deficit in doubles to overtake the Cougars. Lilly Chamberlin and Lucy Chamberlin teamed up for a come-from-behind 8-7 (7-2 win at two doubles for Saint Mary's. Megan Davy and Alyssa Gulli were narrowly beaten in an 8-6 final at one doubles, and Lily Brandt and Kathleen McLeod had a tough 8-2 setback at three doubles.
The Belles showed a lot of grit and perseverance down the stretch in several singles matches. Megan Davy, Alyssa Guilli, and Lucy Chamberlin all took straight-set wins in their singles competitions. Davy was a winner by 6-2, 6-2 scores at one singles. Gulli claimed a strong 6-4, 7-5 decision at three singles. Chamberlin was a 6-3, 6-0 victory at four singles. Meredith Heckert fell in a 6-0, 6-4 final at two singles. Lilly Chamberlin and Kathleen McLeod each fought their way to third-set tiebreak wins at five and six singles, respectively. Chamberlin bounced back from a 6-4 loss in the first set by staving off match-point and ultimately winning the second set 7-6 (7-4). The junior then took the marathon win with a 10-7 decision in the tiebreaker. McLeod, meanwhile, was the clinching win for the Belles. The freshman took her first set in a tight 7-5 final but was forced to play a third-set tiebreaker after a 6-2 second set did not go her way. McLeod prevailed in a 10-7 tiebreaker to aid the Belles' win.
In exhibition play against the Cougars, Kalyn Borger and Trinity Marshall fell just short in an 8-6 doubles match. Nicole Becker took a 6-1 win in exhibition singles, and Borger matched her teammate with a 6-1 exhibition singles win of her own.
The Belles (1-1) are back in action on Saturday, February 29 when they host Saint Francis (Ind.) at the Eck Tennis Pavilion at the University of Notre Dame starting at 4:00 p.m.
Aquinas College 4, Saint Mary's College 3
Singles competition
1. Joska Volder (AQUINAS) def. Megan Davy (SMC) 6-0, 6-1
2. Sofia Gomez (AQUINAS) def. Meredith Heckert (SMC) 6-4, 6-0
3. Bailey Chouinard (AQUINAS) def. Alyssa Gulli (SMC) 6-4, 6-2
4. Lucy Chamberlin (SMC) def. Kiara Berry (AQUINAS) 6-2, 2-6, 1-0 (10-2)
5. Vanessa Heylmun (AQUINAS) def. Lily Brandt (SMC) 6-0, 6-0
6. Lilly Chamberlin (SMC) def. Darci TerHaar (AQUINAS) 6-3, 7-6 (7-1)
Doubles competition
1. Megan Davy/Alyssa Gulli (SMC) def. Joska Volder/Kiara Berry (AQUINAS) 6-2
2. Lilly Chamberlin/Lucy Chamberlin (SMC) def. Sofia Gomez/Vanessa Heylmun (AQUINAS) 6-3
3. Nicole Becker/Meredith Heckert (SMC) def. Bailey Chouinard/Darci TerHaar (AQUINAS) 6-3
Saint Mary's College 6, Spring Arbor University 3
Singles competition
1. Megan Davy (SMC) def. Sela Clifford (SAU) 6-2, 6-2
2. Paige Trela (SAU) def. Meredith Heckert (SMC) 6-0, 6-4
3. Alyssa Gulli (SMC) def. Morgan Summons (SAU) 6-4, 7-5
4. Lucy Chamberlin (SMC) def. Lindsey Scott (SAU) 6-3, 6-0
5. Lilly Chamberlin (SMC) def. Shae Wright (SAU) 4-6, 7-6 (7-4), 1-0 (10-7)
6. Kathleen McLeod (SMC) def. Karlie Raphael (SAU) 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-7)
Doubles competition
1. Sela Clifford/Abby Ducharme (SAU) def. Megan Davy/Alyssa Gulli (SMC) 8-6
2. Lilly Chamberlin/Lucy Chamberlin (SMC) def. Morgan Summons/Kenzie Weener (SAU) 8-7 (7-2)
3. Paige Trela/Emma Ruga (SAU) def. Lily Brandt/Kathleen McLeod (SMC) 8-2