Saint Mary's earned a convincing 9-0 victory over MIAA opponent Trine Monday evening at the Eck Tennis Pavilion, breaking a three-game conference losing streak.
The Belles surrendered just 12 games total on the day, with six of their nine victories coming without dropping a single game.
Thanks to a few lineup changes made by coach Dale Campbell, sophomores Jessica Camp and Mary Therese Lee were able to cruise to an early 8-0 victory at No. 3 doubles.
"We made lineup changes to try to change the strategy a bit in doubles," Campbell said. "Doubles can be quickly won or lost in an eight game pro-set format, therefore we are trying to be more aggressive. [Mary Therese Lee] moves extremely well at the net. She is quick and is able to put the ball away quickly up close at the net."
The No. 1 duo of junior Camille Gebert and sophomore Jillian Hurley continued their dominance, winning 8-0, while sophomores Betsy Reed and Franca Peluso teamed up at No. 2 doubles for an 8-2 victory.
Sophomore Jessica Kosinski was inserted back into the lineup at No. 3 singles and was able to defeat her opponent without dropping a set.
Reed defeated her opponent by the same score at No. 4 singles, while Peluso earned a double bagel at No. 5 singles.
Camp followed suit in the No. 6 singles match, also without dropping a game.
Hurley and Gebert both faced tough opponents at No. 1 and 2 singles, respectively, but each came away with straight set victories.
Campbell noted that Gebert's physical fitness has been a key for her this season and that it gives her a tremendous amount of confidence going into her matches.
This was the Belles first MIAA win since defeating Alma on March 28, dropping more recent matches against Calvin, Albion and Kalamazoo.
"I hope the tough losses will motivate us," Campbell said. "We know we are so close to breaking through."
The Belles will travel to Hope College to play their next conference match, and then to Adrian on Saturday.
"Hope is really tough and they will be ready for us," Campbell said. "They have been on a roll as of late. Hopefully, we can bring our best game and give them a close match. We look forward to the challenge."
The match against Hope is slated to start at 4 p.m.
