Following a three-match homestand, Ferris State tennis will travel to Michigan Tech on Friday, April 4, for the first match of a four-contest road trip to end the regular season.
Ferris State men’s team has won 20 straight regular-season matchups against the Huskies, and the women are 11-9 in the last 20 meetings with Michigan Tech.
The men’s team hasn’t faced the Huskies in the postseason since 2011, where they won 5-2. The women are 1-2 in the last three postseason matches against Michigan Tech, with their latest contest being a 5-3 loss in 2018.
Head coach Mark Doren stresses the importance of finishing the regular season strong on the road.
“Every match is super important,” Doren said. “But being able to go on the road and get some wins leading up to the GLIAC tournament is important, especially four in a row. We won’t be at home for a month, so it’s a curse we’re not at home, but it’s also a bonus because we get used to playing on the road, which is good practice. I think that next week will be important with the long trip, so if we can get a good win next week to start our road trip right, that’ll be key for us.”
After playing Michigan Tech, the Bulldogs will play Purdue Northwest, Roosevelt and Wayne State to close out the regular season before heading into the GLIAC tournament. The men’s team claimed the conference championship last season and aims to repeat their postseason success this year.
Men’s
Ferris (8-6, 2-1 in GLIAC) finished 4-4 in March, including conference wins over Lake Superior State and Davenport.
Michigan Tech (4-4, 2-0 in GLIAC) welcomes the Bulldogs in the midst of a four-game homestand, and after earning two GLIAC victories.
Even though Ferris has won the last 20 regular-season matchups, senior captain Alessandro Santangelo isn’t taking them lightly.
“We’re not thinking about how many times we’ve beat them in the past,” Santangelo said. “I think with Michigan Tech and the other teams in our conference, we always just try to treat it like every other match. We know they’re great players and they’re great competitors, so we’re going to come out fighting and give it our all regardless.”
The Bulldogs are 2-3 this season in foreign territory, and they aim to even that record against the Huskies.
Women’s
The Bulldogs (8-6, 3-1 in GLIAC) suffered a four-match losing streak but have since won three of their last four matches. They started their conference slate with a 4-3 win against Lake Superior State and collected wins over Davenport and Saginaw Valley State this past weekend.
Senior Ana Sofia Hernandez Ferrer is confident that her team can overcome the adversity of their up-and-down season.
“I think the team is doing really good,” Ferrer said. “We’ve had some tough losses, but we all come back stronger into the next one. Everyone’s playing amazing, so I think we still have a chance to show everyone how good we are this year.”
The Huskies (3-5, 1-3 in GLIAC) started its conference slate with a win over Saginaw Valley but have lost three straight GLIAC matchups heading into their bout with the Bulldogs.
A large part of Ferris’ recent success has stemmed from their doubles play, as they have captured a point in its last three matches.
Ferris State and Michigan Tech will play in Houghton on Friday, April 4. The men’s match begins at 10 a.m., followed by the women at 2 p.m.