Women's Tennis

7-2 Win at Ferris State Gives SVSU Momentum Heading into GLIAC Tournament

Posted: Oct 22, 2017

Score: Saginaw Valley 7, Ferris State 2
Records: SVSU (7-4, 7-3 GLIAC) | FSU (4-6, 4-6 GLIAC)
Location: FSU Racquet and Fitness Center

BIG RAPIDS -- The Saginaw Valley State University Women's Tennis team claimed a victory at Ferris State University on Sunday, posting a 7-2 edge over the Bulldogs in Big Rapids, Michigan. The Cardinals swept doubles play to give the team a 3-0 lead heading into singles play and would take four of the singles matchups, claiming the victory.

Doubles

The Cardinals swept through doubles play, giving SV a commanding 3-0 edge heading into singles competition. The No. 2 doubles squad of Danielle Slonac and Madeline Miller began with an 8-4 win to give the visitors their first point. An 8-3 win at the No. 3 spot followed, as Joanne Gao and Maya Campbell pushed the lead to 2-0. Shea Donahue and Taylow McLaughlin made it 3-for-3, earning an 8-4 win at the top spot.

Singles

McLaughlin made quick work of her opponent at No. 4 singles, posting a 6-0, 6-0 victory to begin the scoring. Campbell followed suit, claiming the decisive fifth point for Saginaw Valley with her 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles. Slonac was dominant in her match as well, winning 6-1, 6-1 at No. 5 singles.

Donahue and Miller were next to finish, each dropping close three-set matches at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots, respectively. Donahue fell by a score of 3-6, 6-4, 10-8 and Miller dropped her contest by a 7-6, 3-6, 10-8 count.

Gao was the last match out for the Cards, coming away victorious at the No. 3 position by a score of 6-4, 7-6.

From Head Coach Jenn Boehm

"This was such a significant win for our SVSU Tennis program on multiple levels. First, in the past two seasons we had lost 4 match ups in a row to Ferris by a score of 5-4. They were amazing battles but we kept falling just short and it was frustrating. They fact that we were able to not only overcome that hurdle this weekend, but also doing it with such a commanding performance was extremely satisfying. Add to that the fact that SVSU has only finished above Ferris once prior to this season and that was 34 years ago. That's a big deal. This win was earned by our current players but it was a win that we can dedicate to our SVSU Tennis Alumni who have been working toward this accomplishment for decades.

After feeling disappointed with our doubles performance and energy against GVSU the day before, our players committed to each other that they would not let that happen again in this match. We were able to sweep the doubles matches by playing with intensity, purpose, and focus. I was really proud of the way they responded to the previous day.

At 4 through 6 singles we were the stronger players, but Taylor, Danielle, and Maya really played very well too which is reflected in their scores. Shea and Maddie both had three set battles, which didn't go our way this time. They both lost by just 2 points, but they competed extremely hard and I know they will use those matches to fuel their fire to get the next ones. Every loss is an opportunity to learn and get better. Joanne kept the drama alive as her match was a back and forth battle from the first point until the last. She stayed just ahead throughout much of the match until it came down to a 6-6 tie in the second set. The tiebreaker is played first to 7 points and this one went on for what felt like forever. She fought off multiple set points for her opponent and was able to stay focused despite the pressure of the moment. When she finally won the final point at 13-11, the emotions and excitement that she, our team, and fans felt was incredible.

We will truly enjoy this win, but ultimately it is only a small part of our overall goal this year and that is to win this GLIAC tournament and qualify for the post-season. We look forward to taking the first step with a big rematch vs Tiffin in the first round this Friday."

Up Next...

The Cardinals face Tiffin University on Friday (Oct. 27) in the opening round of the 2017 GLIAC Tournament. First serve is set for 6:45 p.m. at the Greater Midland Tennis Center. Saginaw Valley defeated the Dragons by a 7-2 score back on Oct. 8. SVSU is the No. 4 seed in this year's tournament, the highest seed for the team in the tournament's existence.

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