The Hillsdale College women's tennis team played a strong match on the road, but it wasn't enough to take down one of the top teams in the Midwest in a 5-2 loss to Ferris State that was closer than the final score indicated.

Four of the six contested singles matches went to a third set in incredibly tight play, but Hillsdale only got two of the four victories it needed to take the match despite a valiant effort. The Chargers got a win at No. 3 singles from freshman Libby McGivern, who won a second set tiebreak 7-4 and took the third set 6-4 to battle back to victory after a first set loss to the Bulldogs' Parker Nolan.

The Chargers' No. 6 singles player, Ellie Chawner, also overcame a first set loss to beat to beat Kennedy Dumas of Ferris St., winning the second set 6-2 and dominating the super-tiebreak 10-0 to take the match.

Hillsdale's No. 4 singles player, Canela Luna, and No. 5 singles player, Sophia Spinazze, also forced a third set but came up short in well-played matches on both sides. Luna won the first set 6-4 before falling 6-3, 6-1 to Brittany Lavenant, and Spinazze took the first set 6-3 before the Bulldogs' Patricia Gomez rallied, 6-4, 10-6, for the victory.

Ferris St. needed just three singles points to win the match after taking a close battle for the doubles point to start the match. The Bulldogs pulled out tight 6-4 victories at both No. 1 and No. 3 singles, enough to edge out the Chargers, who got a 6-2 victory from their No. 2 doubles team of Luna and Spinazze to make it close.

Hillsdale is now 3-3 on the year, and will be in action next Sunday, when the Chargers host a resurgent Northwood team at 4 p.m. in another tough regional match.

Photo by Anthony Lupi