The Hillsdale women’s tennis team opened their season with a tough slate of three matches over the weekend, winning on Sunday to finish on a positive note.
On Friday, the Chargers faced Ohio Dominican University, falling 6-3.
Junior Lindsay Peirce said that while the team fought hard in singles, the team displayed much of its strength in its doubles matches, winning two out of three.
Junior Sydney Delp contributed to the wins with a victory in her singles match.
“For our first match of the season, I was really impressed with how the girls performed,” coach Nicole Walbright said. “Everyone put their best effort forward and we had good results and a lot to learn from for the rest of our season.”
On Saturday, the women had to move to an indoor court due to a rain delay, where the team fell 5-4 to Walsh University.
Despite the changes, the team adapted quickly and fought hard.
“I was particularly happy because every time we have played Walsh, we have gotten better and better,” Walbright said. “Walsh barely slipped by with a victory over us, but we are confident we can win if we meet them at the conference tournament.”
Despite the losses, the team remained positive as they continued their trip through Ohio, enabling them to finish their weekend with an 8-1 victory over Ashland University.
After not getting off the court the previous day until 10 p.m., the Chargers delivered an outstanding performance, only losing one singles match.
“Sunday was a perfect day for tennis,” Walbright said. “We went in confident and had the mental game of how to take care of business. The nerves of starting a new season were gone and everyone was able to put their best game forward.”
But the weekend wasn’t an easy fight for the team.
“Playing four to five hour matches three days in a row can take a toll on your body,” senior team captain Morgan Delp said.
But as the season progresses Walbright said she looks forward to improving the team’s endurance, both mentally and physically, to last through long matches.
“Sometimes I think it’s more taxing on the mental game than it is physically, but then I remember how intense it is when I’m sore Monday morning,” Peirce said.
Despite playing three teams this past weekend, the tennis team looks forward to the freedom their new schedule allows.
Similar to last weekend, the team has had many three-match weekends in previous years. However, this year the team will enjoy more two-match weekends thanks to a less intense schedule.
The team is now preparing for its first two-game series this weekend, playing Tiffin University on Saturday and the University of Findlay on Sunday.
