Fetters Leads Belles at MIAA Flighted Tournament

Brackets (pdf)

HOLLAND, Mich. - Andrea Fetters made a big impact in her first conference-related competition by claiming the C Flight Championship in the MIAA Flighted Tournament.

The sophomore defeated Alexis Mack of Trine 6-2, 6-0 and Liz Tyburski from Kalamazoo by 6-4, 6-0 scores to earn a spot in the semifinals. Fetters then defeated Kalamazoo's Katie Clark 6-1, 6-0 to get into the championship final. In that final, she defeated Eloise Germic from Kalamazoo 6-4, 7-6 (11).

Kaity Venters also competed in the C Flight. She won 6-0, 6-2 over Calvin's Emily Sprague before falling to Germic, 6-4, 6-4.

In the B Flight, Sam Setterblad and Audrey Kiefer both competed for the Belles. Setterblad took a strong 6-0, 6-0 win over Lauren Moreau from Alma in her opening match before ending up on the wrong side of a 6-3, 6-1 decision against Hope's Stephanie Huffman. Kiefer lost her opening match to eventual flight champion Mallory Smith from Hope by 6-0, 6-0 scores and fell by a 6-0, 6-3 final to Siani Johnson from Kalamazoo in the back draw.

Kayle Sexton, Jackie Kjolhede, and Hannah Nichols all competed in the A Flight. Sexton had a strong comeback effort to win her opening match 3-6, 6-4, 10-4 against Trine's Lauren Schlueter. The junior was then tripped up 6-1, 6-1 by defending MIAA Most Valuable Player Sarah Woods from Kalamazoo. Kjolhede fell in her opening match to Kalamazoo's Jenna Riehl by 6-2, 6-3 scores and was later defeated by Alma's Megan Solano 6-2, 6-1. Nichols was on the short side of a 6-3, 6-0 decision against Hope's Paige Courts. The freshman defeated Claire Spoelhof from Calvin 6-3, 6-0 before having her efforts in singles play ended 7-5, 6-3 against Sabrina Dass from Kalamazoo.

Shannon Elliott and Audrey Kiefer teamed up to compete in the A Doubles Flight along with Hannah Nichols and Kayle Sexton. Elliott and Kiefer defeated the team of Schlueter and Uphaus from Trine by an 8-5 score before falling 8-1 to eventual champions Benda and Capestany from Hope. Nichols and Sexton were 8-5 winners for Albion's Chen and Blumberg in their opening match, but lost 8-4 to Kalamazoo's Latala and Doss in the quarterfinals.

Sam Setterblad and Andrea Fetters were a Saint Mary's doubles pairing, as were Jackie Kjolhede and Kaity Venters in the B Doubles Flight. After falling in their opening match 8-3 to Calvin's duo of Turner and Benzel, Setterblad and Fetters won 8-0 against Moreau and Taylor from Alma; 8-3 over Trine's Black and Marley; and 9-7 against their own teammates Jackie Kjolhede and Kaity Venters in the back draw final.

Kjolhede and Venters found themselves in the back draw bracket after being edged out 8-6 by Trine's Kwaske and Mack in their first doubles contest. The pair then defeated Olivet's Kidder and Risner 8-2 and Kalamazoo's Harrison and Germic 8-3 to face off against Setterblad and Fetters in the back draw final.

The Belles return to competition in the spring semester when they head to Florida for their annual spring break trip.