by Eva Dean Folkert

In a battle of unbeaten MIAA teams, the Hope College women's tennis team survived a close call against Kalamazoo College on Saturday.

The Flying Dutch topped the Hornets, 5-4, at Kalamazoo's Stowe Stadium.

With one more regular-season contest left to go at Adrian College on Tuesday, April 27, Hope is now 6-0 in the league and 9-2 overall. Kalamazoo falls to 5-1 in the league and 8-2 overall.

On Saturday, Hope claimed two of the three doubles matches and won three of the six singles flights. 

Photo of Annika Weeber, victorious at No. 3 singles ad No. 1 doubles

At No. 1 singles, Sydney Jackson of Fort Wayne, Indiana (Carroll) defeated Kalamazoo's Caroline Norton, 6-2, 6-0.

At No. 2 singles, junior Saydee Johns of Holland, Michigan (Holland) blanked Kalamazoo's Maddy Winarski, 6-0, 6-0.

At No. 3 singles, freshman Annika Weeber of Rockford, Michigan (Grand Rapids Christian) split the first two sets with Kalamazoo's Helen Pelak, 6-4, 4-6, but then stormed back to take the third set, 6-1.

At No. 4 singles, freshman Angela Burke of Holland, Michigan (Holland Christian) lost to Kalamazoo's Sophie Zhuang, 3-6, 4-6.

At No. 5 singles, sophomore Taylor Truman of Hudsonville, Michigan (Hudsonville) was downed Kalamazoo's Ella Knight, 2-6, 3-6.

At No. 6 singles, sophomore Sophia Stamatopoulos of Wheaton, Illinois (Wheaton-Warrenville South) was defeated by Kalamazoo's Maddie Hurley, 1-6, 0-6.

In doubles, Hope's No. 1 pair of Jackson and Weeber claimed a close tiebreaker vicvtory, 8-7 (8-6), over Zhuang/Pelak; Hope's No. 2 pair of Johns and Truman topped Norton/Knight, 8-4; and Hope's No. 3 pair of Burke and Stamatopoulos were defeated by Hurley/ Meghan Killmaster, 4-8.