For the second time in a row, the match was decided at the very end, but this time, the Hillsdale College Chargers came up short of the Ferris State Bulldogs Sunday in the Biermann Center, losing the match 4-3.
The loss snaps a six-game winning streak and represents the Chargers’ first loss of the season.
The Chargers were quickly set to a disadvantage after Ferris State’s one and three doubles teams cruised to 6-1 and 6-2 wins to clinch the first point.
“The pressure was really on the whole team to try and win some three-set battles,” head coach Nikki Walbright said.
The pressure built after senior Hannah Cimpeanu lost her match 2-6, 1-6 at No. 1 singles.
Ferris only needed two more wins to clinch the match with four to go, but Hillsdale hung around and forced a few three-set matches.
At No. 3 singles, sophomore Canela Luna bounced back from dropping the first set with dominant second and third sets to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-2.
“Something just switched and I just started playing tennis,” Luna said. “I just started focusing more and being more present on the court.”
Luna came out on top of four straight deuce games to start out the second set, frustrating her opponent.
“In the second and third set I raised the level of my game,” she said. “I started playing better defense, I started getting more balls back, and started mixing it up a bit so she didn’t have as many opportunities to put the ball away.”
Sophomore Ellie Chawner worked quickly on the No. 5 singles court. Her 6-2, 6-0 win gave the Chargers a crucial break by tying the match at 3.
“Ellie Chawner played near perfect singles,” Walbright said. “Ellie barely made any errors and her serves were super strong.”
After Luna and Chawner walked off court, the Chargers had tied it at 2.
Junior Sarah Hackman fought hard in the third set on the second court. After splitting sets 6-1, Hackman worked to come out on top of a tight third set when a loss would have meant the end of the match, winning 6-1, 1-6, 6-4.
“Sarah Hackman played unbelievable for her first set and her opponent made some good adjustments for the second set,” Walbright said. “It took her a bit but she was able to stay more consistent in the third to pull out a really great win.”
Junior Tatum Matthews dropped her six singles match 4-6, 3-6, which tied the match at three with only junior Sophia Spinazze on the court.
Spinazze’s marathon match at No. 4 singles was in the third set when Matthews’ match ended. Spinazze narrowly lost a tiebreak in the first set seven to four, but answered by taking the second set 7-5.
Still, the match was dead even as Spinazze stormed to a 3-0 lead early. She dropped four of the next five games and was forced to serve to stay alive. The match ended on that game and Ferris clinched the match.
“I was so proud of her sticking it out to the very end,” Walbright said. “It unfortunately didn’t go our way but it very easily could have and I was just so proud of Sophia and the whole team.”
