In its first match since October, Saint Mary’s opened its spring schedule with a 6-3 loss to Aquinas College on Sunday afternoon at Orchard Hills Tennis Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The Belles (1-1) took an early lead in the match, as they captured victories in two of three doubles matches. Junior Kaity Venters and freshman Abbi Fleming took the first point of the contest with an 8-6 victory over the Saints duo of juniors Kali Green and Brittany Mayer.
The Belles kept the momentum rolling, as senior Margaret Faller and sophomore Maddie Minaudo notched an 8-6 win over Aquinas seniors Anna Musienko and Marjeanne Bothma to stake the Belles to an early 2-0 lead.
As the match entered singles play, however, Saint Mary’s faltered. Freshman Monica Davey fell to Saints senior Lea Jansen, 6-0, 6-1, at the top of the singles lineup, and Belles junior Sam Setterblad was also handily defeated, 6-1, 6-0, by Saints freshman Martina Devetak at the second singles position. The team of Davey and Setterblad also came up short against Jansen and Devetak in doubles competition by a score of 8-3.
Though she beat Musienko in doubles play, Minaudo lost to the Ukrainian native, 6-2, 6-2, at No. 4 singles. Faller also lost to Bothma, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 3 singles. The lone singles win for the Belles came from freshman Elizabeth Preister, who bested Green, 6-4, 6-3, at the No. 6 singles spot.
Saint Mary’s now sits at 1-1 as it moves into its spring schedule, while the Saints improved to 3-2.
The Belles’ next opponent is St. Francis, which posted a fall record of 9-7, but the Cougars have yet to take to the courts this spring.
The match against the Cougars will be played at Notre Dame’s Eck Tennis Pavilion on Friday at 6 p.m.
