BIG RAPIDS – The Ferris State University men’s and women’s tennis squads concluded weekend action with a strong performance on Sunday against the University of Indianapolis in regional action at the FSU Racquet and Fitness Center.
While the Bulldogs dropped both the men’s and women’s matches to a pair of UIndy teams both ranked among the nation’s top 10 squads, both teams put up strong efforts and fought to the finish in the dual action.
The Bulldog women won the doubles point for the early lead over the Greyhounds before falling by a 4-1 count while the FSU men dropped a 4-0 decision to Indianapolis.
“The end scores do not tell the tale of the match,” said FSU head coach Mark Doren. “For the women, we came out with outstanding energy and took the doubles point. Then, we had some really close matches in singles play that could have went either way with results.
“It is hard to say after a loss, but this was one of the best matches our women’s team has played since I’ve been at Ferris State,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Bulldog men also battled and competed against the longtime regional rival and put forth an outstanding effort.
“The doubles play on the men’s side felt like the Wimbledon final,” Doren said. “The intensity was through the roof. I thought we fought until the last point in singles play. The level of tennis was so high there were guys on the ground for shots because both teams knew they had to give everything to earn the win.”
Both Ferris State had earned big regional home wins on Saturday over longtime tennis rival Northwood prior to Sunday’s setback.
The Bulldog women’s squad currently owns a 3-1 overall record to date this year while the men’s team is off to a 2-1 start counting the fall campaign. Both teams will travel to Hillsdale on Friday for regional action with the women beginning at 10 a.m. and the men at 1 p.m.
Saturday vs. Northwood
BIG RAPIDS – The Ferris State University men’s and women’s tennis squads kicked off their spring season with a bang on Saturday as the Bulldogs swept longtime tennis rival Northwood in regional action at the FSU Racquet and Fitness Center.
The Bulldog women’s team started the day against their former Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) counterpart, pulling out a hard-fought 4-3 victory. In the men’s contest, Ferris State rolled to a 7-0 decision over the Timberwolves.
FSU dropped the doubles point in the women’s match, but rallied back in singles play to earn the win.
“It was an outstanding win over the defending league champions,” said Doren. “We were down 3-2 with two matches on the court. I was extremely impressed with our determination throughout the whole match. You would’ve never known we lost the doubles point the way we came out playing in singles.”
FSU got big wins to close out the victory from Amelia Laverdiere at the sixth spot in the lineup along with Kennedy Dumas at five singles to secure the win.
The Bulldog men’s squad dominated their match against the Timberwolves, sweeping the doubles round and capturing all six singles spots with five coming in straight-sets.
“It was a great way to start the season,” Doren said. “I was extremely impressed with the way we came out and played aggressive doubles. That energy continued in singles with some dominant wins in many positions.”