The Charger women’s tennis team fell short in a 5-2 loss to Wayne State University Warriors Feb. 28 at the Margot Biermann Athletic Center.

“Overall the match was quite good, and we definitely surprised them with how competitive we were,” sophomore Ané Dannhauser said.

In doubles, the Chargers went one for three against the Warriors. In No. 3 doubles, junior Bella Spinazze and senior Megan Hackman pulled off a 6-3 victory.

“Megan and I had a really good doubles win against Wayne State, and I truly believe it was due to our confidence and energy,” Spinazze said. “We stepped on the court believing in ourselves and played some of the best tennis we have played all season.”

But in No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, the Chargers fell short. No. 1 pair Dannhauser and senior Courtney Rittel lost 6-4, and No. 2 pair freshman Briana Rees and senior Libby McGivern lost 6-3.

“Doubles was really close, and it was honestly a match that we could have won, but we learned a lot and will be more prepared next time,” Dannhauser said.

In singles against the Warriors, both freshman Julia Zlateva and Hackman took their matches to the third sets, winning No. 5 and No. 6 singles respectively.

“Playing a top-ranked team is always hard but it showed us how much we are capable of because we kept it competitive the entire match,” Zlateva said.

Dannhauser and Rees also played singles matches extending to the third set, but neither one followed through with a win.

“My singles was a battle and a half, but it always is against this player,” Dannhauser said. “There are so many things I want to change from that match, but aIl we can really do is learn from Friday. I definitely want to work on taking advantage of the opportunities I am presented with in my match, so practice will probably be focused on that this week.”

The Chargers, now 5-4 on the season, will play University of Northwestern Ohio at home March 8 before heading to Florida to play Nova Southeastern University and Palm Beach Atlantic University over spring break.

“The team is super excited for spring break,” Dannhauser said. “We are going to Florida and playing against a bunch of very good schools down there. I can’t wait to play outside and experience sunshine again.”