Belles Open Season at Hope Invitational

HOLLAND, Mich. - The Saint Mary's tennis team began their season on Friday and Saturday at the Hope Invitational.

Megan Davy and Monica Davy posted a 3-1 record on the weekend. The pair won their first match in the A Doubles bracket 8-0 and followed up that effort with an 8-4 win. After dropping an 8-2 decision, the duo won a tight 8-6 match to cap off their doubles play with a victory. Lilly Chamberlin and Meredith Heckert also went 8-1 in the A Doubles bracket. After opening with an 8-3 win, Chamberlin and Heckert fell in an 8-5 final. The pair then took an 8-2 win and an 8-4 win for the 3-1 mark on the weekend.

Elizabeth Priester and Alyssa Gulli competed in the B Doubles bracket and finished the event with a 3-1 mark. The pair won an 8-0 match to begin play but fell 8-4 to move to the consolation portion of the bracket. Preister and Gulli then posted an 8-4 decision before winning 9-8 (6) in their final match. Nicole Becker and Kiki Carney had a 2-2 record in the B Doubles bracket. After an 8-2 win and an 8-6 victory, the pair fell 8-2 and 8-6 to end their run.

Megan Davy, Monica Davy, and Lilly Chamberlin each competed in the A Singles bracket at the event. Megan Davy went 2-2 on the weekend. The sophomore bounced back from an opening round loss with a pair of straight-set wins before retiring in her final match of the tournament. Monica Davy had a 1-3 record. The senior had a hard-fought 6-7, 6-4, 13-11 loss in her first match. She took a straight-set win in her second competition but fell in her next two competitions of the event. Lilly Chamberlin had close competitions in each of her matches as she fell 4-6, 6-4, 10-4 in her opening match and 7-5, 7-6 in her second match before ending on the wrong side in her third competition.

Meredith Heckert and Elizabeth Preister took part in the B Singles bracket. Heckert went 1-2 with a 6-0, 6-0 opening win. Preister posted a 3-1 record. The senior took a 6-0, 6-3 win before out-lasting her counterpart 5-7, 6-2, 10-6 in the second match. Preister went on to fall in a 3-6, 6-1, 14-12 final in her next match but wrapped up her run with a 6-0, 6-2, 11-9 win.

Kiki Carney, Nicole Becker, Alyssa Gulli, and Jenna Jaskolka all competed in the C Singles bracket. Carney went 2-1 by posting back-to-back straight-set wins after falling in her first match. Becker also went 2-1 and finished the event with a straight-set win. Gulli notched a 3-1 record as she won her first two matches in straight sets, fell in a 7-5, 7-6 (6) second match, and won a 2-6, 7-5, 10-6 battle. Jaskolka responded from a pair of early losses with a 6-3, 6-4 win and a 6-1, 6-0 win to post a 2-2 record.

The Belles are back in action on Friday, October 6 when they host Illinois Wesleyan at 4:00 p.m.