Score: Saginaw Valley 8, Davenport 1
Records: (SVSU (2-1, 2-0 GLIAC) | DU (0-2, 0-2 GLIAC_
Location: SVSU Tennis Complex - University Center, Mich.
UNIVERSITY CENTER -- The SVSU Women's Tennis team finished-off a 2-0 home weekend to open GLIAC play, posting an 8-1 victory over Davenport University on Sunday (Sep. 17) at the SVSU Tennis Complex. The Cardinals took two of the three doubles matches and swept through singles play for the league win over the Panthers.
Doubles
In the No. 2 doubles slot, Joanne Gao and Maya Campbell claimed an 8-6 victory over their opponents after beginning the match down 5-2. The freshman duo bumped up to play at the second position, as the Cards won at No. 3 doubles by default. At the No. 1 spot, Shea Donahue and Taylor McLaughlin ended up dropping a close 9-8 tiebreaker after leading earlier in the match.
Singles
The Cardinals received default victories at the No. 5 and No. 6 slots, needing just a single win to claim the match. Madeline Miller was solid at the No. 2 singles spot, posting a 6-1, 6-1 victory. Danielle Slonac, who dropped only one single game all weekend in singles play, claimed a 6-1, 6-0 win while playing at No. 4 singles. McLaughlin was victorious as well, winning 6-4, 6-2 in the No. 3 slot. Donahue won again at No. 1 singles, claiming a 6-2, 6-4 victory to round-out play for the Cardinals.
From Head Coach Jenn Boehm
"For me there are two takeaways from this match; preparation and dedication to doing the little things. That was the difference in the match. We are not only more self-aware, but we are actively addressing the areas we can improve. This team understands that all of our opponents are beatable, yet could beat us as well. It comes down to who comes in more prepared and who commits to the little things that build momentum, confidence, and ultimately success.
We had an unbelievable comeback from our freshmen today at No. 2 doubles. There were playing up a spot to gain experience and while they stumbled initially, they caught fire when it counted and never looked back. I was so proud of them. Shea and Taylor have made remarkable improvement as a team and I was so pleased to see them stick with their plan regardless of the score. There is no question they will only get stronger as a team.
In singles, we just never let up. With the hot temps, you could also clearly see our conditioning was a positive factor. We looked strong, quick and mentally strong. We were in control and kept our focus until the very end. It's a great feeling to finish the weekend with two impressive team performances."
Up Next...
The Cardinals return to action this upcoming weekend in the ITA Regional Tournament. Play runs from Friday (Sep. 22) through Sunday and will be held in Midland, Michigan.
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