Keeping their streak alive, Saint Mary’s tennis gained two wins this past weekend. The Belles won 8-1 over Anderson and 4-3 over IU-Kokomo.
Singles
In the singles competition against IU-Kokomo, the Belles went .500 with three wins and three losses. Against Anderson, they won five out of the six singles matches.
In the first round against IU-Kokomo, Emma Kealy fell to Maria Oliveira. Kealy won the first set 6-4 and lost the second set 2-6. Kealy dropped a tiebreaker that went down to the wire 10-8. In the second round, Alayna Campbell took no time to take the victory, winning both of her sets 6-1. Anna Gardener followed by winning her match, winning the first set 6-2 and the second set 6-1. Evelyn Demblans-Dechans fell in the fourth round of singles against the Panthers, losing both sets 6-3. Katie Hunter also came up short in the fifth round, losing both sets 6-4. Finally, Hannah Gerner took the win for the Belles in the sixth round, winning both sets 6-4.
The Belles wasted no time in the singles competition against Anderson. Campbell led the Belles, winning her match in the first singles competition. Campbell won both sets in the match, the first one 6-3 and the second one 6-1. Kealy took the second win for the Belles after her opponent retired. Demblans-Dechans did not hesitate in her win, taking both sets 6-0. In the fourth round, Gardener notched the fourth victory, winning 6-0 and 6-1. Grace Clearwater fell short in a tiebreaker that was the Belles' only singles loss against Anderson. Clearwater lost the first set 1-6, won the second set 6-3, and dropped the tiebreaker 11-9. However, Hannah Gerner stepped up in the sixth round to gain the fifth win for the Belles.
Doubles
The Belles notched strong performances against both squads in doubles. Saint Mary's went 2-1 against IU-Kokomo and won three matches against Anderson.
Kealy and Gardener started off strong for the Belles, winning 6-2 over IU-Kokomo in the first round of doubles. Campbell and her partner Demblans-Dechans were quick to follow, winning 6-3 in their doubles match. Clearwater and her partner Gerner dropped a close one 6-7.
The Belles then faced Anderson and wasted no time winning all three matches. Campbell and Demblans-Dechans took the first victory, winning 8-1. On the other side of the court, Kealy and Gardener took an 8-5 win. Finally, Clearwater and Gerner kept pushing the Belles ahead in the third round of doubles, winning 8-0 over Anderson.
The Saint Mary’s tennis team is now 6-4 on the season and will face Illinois Tech on March 10.
