Looking to carry forward the momentum from a spring break trip to Florida, where the Belles went 3-1, Saint Mary’s heads to Olivet, Mich., on Sunday to take on Olivet in its first conference contest of the season.
The Belles (4-3) lost to Wheaton but snagged their first three wins of the spring season on the trip as they defeated Cornell (Iowa), St. Scholastica, and Illinois Wesleyan. Belles coach Dale Campbell said his team is on a roll coming off the trip.
“I think we have momentum and we want to keep getting better every match,” Campbell said.
Sophomore Andrea Fetters moved from No. 6 singles to No. 5 singles during the trip south last week but maintained her winning record. Fetters leads the team at 5-1 in singles matches during the spring season with the lone loss coming via a third-set tiebreaker.
“[Fetters] is a fighter and works real hard,” Campbell said. “She has great movement, which keeps her in all of her matches and her confidence just keeps growing.”
When Sunday rolls around, the Belles will begin their journey through conference play with a goal of finishing in the top four during the regular season, as only four teams go to the conference tournament. Saint Mary’s finished tied for the final tournament spot last year but missed out via a tiebreaker. Campbell said that the opening conference match will be key for the team’s entire season.
“The opening match is real big,” Campbell said. “We have beaten Olivet in past years and we have to try and win all conference matches. I think we are a little behind schedule, but we can get [into the top four] if we work hard in practice.”
The Belles currently hold a double-digit win streak against the Comets (0-1, 0-1 MIAA), and will look to keep it going Sunday at 1 p.m. in Olivet, Mich.
