Although competing fiercely, the Hillsdale tennis team finished their three-match weekend against Northwood University, Ferris State University, and Grand Valley State University without a win.
Beginning their weekend in Midland, Hillsdale fell to Northwood, but improved upon last year’s scores with two wins, one in singles by sophomore Lindsay Pierce and another by the doubles team of sisters Morgan and Sydney Delp, bringing the final score to 7-2.
“Both wins came because the girls were extremely focused and implemented their game plans perfectly,” coach Nikki Walbright said. “We have never been so close with Northwood, so I was proud of the whole team that day.”
Saturday, Hillsdale competed in a close match against Ferris, losing only by one match, with the final score 5-4. Sydney Delp, Peirce, and freshman Jada Bissett won in singles, and sisters Morgan and Sydney Delp won in doubles.
Sydney Delp said that although they would have liked to beat Ferris during the match, the loss motivates the team to play harder and provides a focus for upcoming matches.
“They are a good team, but so are we,” Delp said. “Losing that match will light a fire in practice this week. We will work harder, play with more confidence, and discipline ourselves to hit the smarter shot.”
On Sunday after long rain delays and moving the match to indoor courts, Hillsdale finished their weekend with a match against Grand Valley, losing 8-1.
With the lone win at Grand Valley, the Delp sisters won, earning a perfect doubles weekend giving them a 3-1 record in their double matches for the season.
“Our team played good tennis. Grand Valley is extremely deep in their lineup. Every ball was coming fast,” Sydney Delp said. “Coach kept reminding us not to try to match their pace but to hit the smart shot and mix up the pace and spin.”
Being the third match of the weekend, team members said that staying focused can be tough, but training at practices allows them to keep positive during long weekends.
“We’ve been preparing physically and mentally for this all season,” Peirce said. “There are no excuses.”
This coming weekend, the Chargers look forward to their first home matches of the season against Ohio Dominican University, Ashland University, and Tiffin University.
“These three teams this weekend are not going to be any easier than last weekend’s,” Peirce said. “This week’s practices will be extremely crucial in preparing correctly for the weekend.”
