The SVSU women’s tennis team lost to Northwood University 7-2 on Saturday, Oct. 14. SVSU dropped to 6-2 in the GLIAC, and Northwood remains undefeated at 8-0.
The freshman pairing of Joanne Gao and Maya Campbell continued their hot streak as the No. 3 doubles, netting the only doubles win for the Cards 8-1.
Sophomore Taylor McLaughlin pulled off the lone win in singles competition, winning in a three-set tiebreaker after losing the first set.
McLaughlin and doubles partner Shea Donahue, a senior, lost their No. 1 doubles match 8-4. The third doubles pairing of senior Danielle Slonac and sophomore Madeline Miller lost 8-1.
Campbell lost her singles match in a tiebreaker, losing the final two sets. Gao lost at the No. 3 singles spot in two sets.
Donahue and Miller lost in No. 1 and No. 2 singles, respectively, in two sets. Slonac fought in each of her sets but ultimately lost both.
The match also marked Senior Day for Donahue and Slonac.
Donahue has an overall singles record of 35-20 and a doubles record of 31-18. She started as a freshman at the No. 4 singles spot and has played her entire senior year at the No. 1 spot.
“Being a part of the tennis program the last four years has been amazing,” Donahue said. “I love this school, the athletics and being a student-athlete. I could not be a part of a better team.”
Going into her senior season, Donahue said she made a point to have fun and take in every moment.
“What I’ve learned most from my experience is how to enjoy every minute,” Donahue said. “It went by so fast, and going into my last year, I told myself to enjoy it. Enjoy the early mornings, the two-a-days, the exhaustion, enjoy my team and the road trips. Out of my four years here, this team is different, and I honestly couldn’t be happier to end my college career with the team I have.”
Donahue, who is majoring in exercise science and minoring in coaching, will look to explore tennis coaching options.
Slonac was an All-GLIAC Honorable Mention in 2016. She experienced similar success during her tenure with the program. Her current overall singles record is 23-8 and she has a standing doubles record of 23-22.
“Being a part of the tennis team has changed my life in very positive ways,” Slonac said. “I have had incredible experiences, met some of the best friends I could ever ask for and have grown and learned so much about myself. I’m so grateful I’ve had this opportunity.”
Slonac, who is a finance and management double major, said her time on the team helped her grow in more ways than one as a person.
“Most importantly, I’ve learned how much you can accomplish when you have an incredible team of support around you and how special it is to have coaches and teammates that truly feel like family,” Slonac said. “The lessons I’ve learned have certainly changed me for the better and I wouldn’t be who I am today without all of my experiences on the tennis team.”
Both of the seniors left an impactful legacy behind, head coach Jenn Boehm noted.
“It’s hard to summarize the impact that these two seniors have had on our program,” Boehm said. “They have been the driving force, both on and off the court, that has helped our team achieve this level of success so far. They are not simply satisfied with our program just getting better. They want us to be the best. We are well on our way thanks to their commitment and passion. I can’t imagine our team without them.”
SVSU concludes GLIAC play on the road next week, as it heads to Allendale on Saturday, Oct. 21, to take on Grand Valley at 1 p.m. On Sunday, Oct. 22, the team will play Ferris State at 10 a.m.
