Huskies Top Ferris State 5-2 Saturday
HOUGHTON, Mich. – The Michigan Tech women's tennis team earned another key Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory on Saturday at the Gates Tennis Center, defeating Ferris State 5-2. The Huskies are a perfect 3-0 at home and have now won four of five conference matches to start the year.
"This was another huge win for us today and I'm really proud of how our team played," Michigan Tech Head Coach Kevin Kalinec said. "We worked hard in doubles at practice this week and it paid off. I thought we had our best doubles match of the season so far and that enabled us to get a crucial point and the momentum to start the match. The top of the lineup was very solid with four points coming from the No. 1 through No. 4 spots in the lineup. We have another big match tomorrow against a very good Grand Valley State and will have to step up our game in order to give ourselves a chance to win."
Michigan Tech (5-1, 4-1 GLIAC) took two of the three doubles contests on Saturday to get things rolling in the right direction. Sophomore Ivona Gorgioski and freshman Jessica Brown paired in No. 1 doubles to defeat Silvia Verebes and Isabela Paixao 6-3 to go up 1-0. Ferris State (2-2, 2-2 GLIAC) countered to tie up doubles at 1-1 when Nicole Meylor and Sam Stephenson got past senior Allenca Rolim and freshman Mirna Golac 6-1 in the No.3 spot.
Everything boiled down to No. 2 doubles where senior Vicky Quinde and freshman Samantha Johnson went toe to toe with Nika Hein and Agata Klak. Each team traded points until Quinde and Johnson pulled away for the 6-4 decision. The victory secured the crucial doubles point and gave the momentum to Tech.
Tech had the overall match secured by the time the first three singles matches were concluded. Brown took on Verebes in the No. 2 spot and cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 decision that put the first singles point in the books. Gorgioski followed with a win in No. 1 singles against Nika Hein, prevailing 6-2, 6-4. Gorgioski had to hold off Hein in the second set after the comfortable win in the first.
Johnson picked up the match clinching point on Saturday with a victory in No. 3 singles. Johnson was penciled in against Patricia Gomez and the two battled through a pair of tightly contested sets. Johnson though came through with a 6-4 win in set one and held back Gomez in in the second 6-3.
Tech's fifth point was locked up by Quinde in No. 4 singles thanks to a triumph over Paixao in three sets. Quinde slipped past Paixao in the first set 7-5 before falling in set two 6-3 to force the third and deciding set. It was also close, but Quinde held on for a 6-4 win to take the match.
The Bulldogs two points were generated in No. 5 and No. 6 singles on Saturday. Brittany Lavenant defeated Golac 6-4, 6-4 at the five spot while Nicole Meylor edged junior Anabella Neri 6-2, 7-5 in the number six position in the lineup.
The Huskies are back on the court Sunday morning against Grand Valley State for another GLIAC match in the Gates Tennis Center. The Lakers got past Lake Superior State on Saturday 4-3 to open the weekend and are 4-0 on the season. The first serve is scheduled for 10 a.m.
