Final Results
Lourdes wrapped up the 2023-2024 season on Monday afternoon, dropping a 4-2 match to Aquinas in the first round of the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference tournament held at Shadow Valley Tennis Club.
"The ladies played with great courage and the contest was well fought," head coach
Epifani Jones said afterwards. "This was a season of growth and resilience and I look forward to their leadership next season."
Aquinas (3-11), the tournament's fifth seed, began the match taking a very competitive doubles point. The Saints downed
Luciana Merediz (Lima, Peru/Colegio Nuestra Senora del Carmen) and
Vanessa Skouroukos (Toledo, Ohio/Waite H.S.) 6-3 at third doubles to begin the match.
The sixth-seeded Gray Wolves answered with a win at the top of the doubles lineup at
Bella Chela (Lusaka, Zambia/Pretoria H.S. for Girls) and
Mallory Schardt (Temperance, Mich./Bedford H.S.) posted a 6-2 win as the duo improved to 5-6 on the season. The Saints would clinch the point though at number two doubles with a 6-4 victory over the team of
Olivia Schoppa (Gutersloh, Germany/Stadtisches Gymnasium Gutersloh) and
Laura Ortiz (Bogota, Columbia/Gimnasio Los Pions).
Moving to singles, Lourdes (3-11) battled back to take a 2-1 lead in the overall match as Schardt posted a 6-3, 6-2 victory at the second spot while Schoppa won 6-2, 6-2 at number three singles. Schoppa finished the season 7-9 overall while Schardt won her 22
nd career singles match.
Aquinas tied the match at two with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Chela at the top of the order. Ortiz forced a third set at fourth singles before dropping a 6-3, 5-7, 6-0 decision before the Saints clinched the match with a 6-2, 6-1 triumph over Merediz at the fifth spot. Skouroukos trailed 6-1, 5-1 at number six singles when her match was halted.
