The women's tennis team started off the season in encouraging fashion, finishing off the day of play by sweeping Oakland 7-0 going 2-0 on the day after defeating Eastern Michigan 5-2 earlier in the afternoon.
"I think overall today, the whole day, it's been great," head coach Simone Jardim said. "We have a lot of newbies coming in, underclassmen playing in the lineup and it can be nerve-wracking sometimes, but I think they held it together pretty well."
The women started the matchup with the Golden Grizzles playing doubles. Junior Emily Meyers and her partner freshman Allie Baer made short work of Golden Grizzlies juniors Karine Celis and Juliana Guevara, defeating them 6-1 in the only set.
Freshman Colleen O'Brien and senior Julianne Gruber defeated junior Cam Sabourin and her teammate freshman Camille Hemond-Hill 6-2, giving MSU the point from the doubles. The team of sophomore Anna Zelechonok and senior Hilary Hager were winning their set 4-3, but because MSU had already won 2-of-3 there was no reason to continue.
"Doubles we didn't get to finish our match which was kind of upsetting, but that's okay they team won," Zelechonok said. "I think (this was) a good first day for us as a team."
When singles began, the match between sophomore Erin Faulkner and Sabourin was the first to end, Faulkner won rather quickly in straight sets, winning 6-1 and 6-0. Next, Zelechonok defeated Guevara in straight sets as well, winning her sets 6-0 and then 6-1.
After the third match ended a theme began to build, O'Brien defeated Hemond-Hill in straight sets, 6-2 and 6-2, securing the win for the Spartans having built a 4-0 lead winning the doubles match and the first three singles. Sophomore Athena Trouillont defeated junior Elizabeth Guy in straight sets 6-1 and 6-1, giving MSU a 5-0 lead.
In the fifth singles match freshman Aslina Chua also won in straight sets, winning the first one 6-0 and the second 6-1. In the longest match of the evening, freshman Lexi Bayless came from behind in the first set to win 7-6 and with the momentum won the second set 6-1. The come from behind effort from Bayless gave the Spartans a sweep over in-state foe Oakland.
On the 7-0 sweep of the Golden Grizzlies, Jardim simply said that MSU was better.
"We're just better, we're better, I don't know how to put it, but we're better," Jardim said. "(Our girls) did what they had to do."
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
