3rd straight title is sweeter than others
By LISA REIJULA
Sports Writer
After losing two dual matches in the regular season, the Saint Mary's tennis team found itself in unfamiliar territory. The Belles were seeded second along with Kalamazoo College going into the MIAA conference tournament last weekend. However, revenge proved to be sweet for the Belles, as they dominated the field and took first in the tournament.
"I think that going into it we felt like the underdog since we had lost two matches," Saint Mary's co-captain Kaitlin Cutler said. "But those matches could have gone either way and we were confident that we could beat the individuals that we had lost to before."
In the championship matches, several Saint Mary's players avenged earlier losses.
Freshman Kristen Palombo won a conference title at No. 2 singles, beating Kara Hoorn of Kalamazoo 7-5, 6-2. Palombo had lost to Hoorn 2-6, 3-6 when the two teams met earlier this season in a 5-4 Kalamazoo victory April 2.
"I hadn't expected to get that far," Palombo said of her title. "It was an amazing atmosphere, everyone on our team was winning and it gave me extra motivation. The great part was how most of us beat people that we had lost to in the regular season. That definitely got us pumped up."
Saint Mary's Kris Spriggle defeated Karen Dumas of Albion to win the No. 4 singles championship, 3-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3. The two players also went three sets April 8 when their teams faced off in a dual match. Dumas won that contest, edging Spriggle out 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 in an 8-1 Albion win.
"There were so many strong players this year and it was really who was better on that day," Cutler said. "This season was different because there were four powerhouse teams instead of just one or two. We didn't really know what to expect, but we believed in each other."
Cutler, the lone No. 1 seed among Saint Mary's players, coasted to a championship at No.3 singles. She defeated Caitlin Kelly of Kalamazoo 6-2, 6-4.
"I was confident about getting to finals since I had a really good draw," Cutler said. "I am proud of winning since I had some really tough matches."
Other teams in the MIAA might have thought the Belles were less of a force due to their two losses, the first for Saint Mary's in two years.
However, with their tournament win the Belles feel they proved their talent.
"We didn't count ourselves out at all," Palombo said. "When the Albion girls lost the first day and most of us were winning, we just thought that this was ours to get. We went out and proved to be the number one team."
Cutler cited the play of freshmen Palombo and No. 3 doubles player Lindsay Cook as instrumental this season. In addition, No. 7 singles player Miranda Mikulyuk stepped in for No. 6 Angie Sandner, who missed the conference tournament due to an academic conflict.
"The freshmen this season just fit in right away," Cutler said. "We're fortunate to have such a strong seventh player in Miranda to fill in and we were very confident in her."
The MIAA tournament marks the end of the season for the Belles. They finished second overall in the conference, which factors in dual match records and the tournament results. The Belles were 5-2 in the MIAA and 14-5 overall.
"I am proud to be a part of the Saint Mary's team because everyone is so well-respected, so polite and nice on the court," Cutler said. "We had our heads up the whole season and we gave each other the encouragement that we needed."
"It feels amazing to end on such a good note, on top at number one," Palombo added. "I'm sad that it's over, we spent day-in and day-out together to work to achieve this goal."
The tourney win was the third in a row for the Belles, but this season's victory stands out due to the struggles the team faced over the course of their season.
"This is even more special because it was unexpected," said Cutler. "Even though we didn't win first overall, in our hearts we know we are the best team in the conference and that is better than any trophy."
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, April 29, 2003
