Kicking off a hectic week, the girls varsity tennis team made the trip to Midland to compete in the Midland Quad. Coming off of a third-place finish in last week’s quad in Northville, the Rangers faced a triumvirate of extremely challenging opponents in Birmingham Seaholm, Traverse City Central, and Midland Dow. Nonetheless, FHC came away with victories in several matches, most notably from junior Libby Moog. 

Earlier in the season, Libby suffered a concussion and missed the first sliver of the season. Despite this minor setback, Libby emerged victorious in her singles match against Traverse City Central. Not only is Libby a captain for this season, but she has played on the varsity team ever since her freshman year. Leading the way with talent and experience, Libby’s return to action provided a blueprint for her potential success this season. 

“Being out with a concussion was devastating to begin the tennis season,” Libby said. “One of my favorite aspects of being back out on the courts is the rush of adrenaline after winning points, games, and matches. It’s great to experience that again.”

Along with Libby, freshman Lily Ohlman topped her opponent from TCC in her singles match. Standing as one of three freshmen on the varsity team, Lily claimed the first of many wins in her young career.

Additionally, FHC’s third doubles team enjoyed success on the day. Freshmen Lucy Wu and sophomore Ella Hunnewell teamed up to top their TCC counterpart, expanding on the win from their last match. Such success from the underclassmen duo displays extreme promise for the future of this team. 

In the last match against Midland Dow, the team played quite well. All four of the Ranger doubles teams split their respective sets and reached a tiebreaker match. Although each team fell in the tiebreaker, such a performance against a top-three team in Division One shows the competitive spirit of this group. As the state tournament in June draws closer, the ability of head coach Dan Bolhouse to stack up FHC’s schedule with top-tier teams is perhaps its strongest suit. 

“I’m a believer in playing top teams every season because it helps us improve at a quicker rate,” coach Bolhouse said. “By playing excellent teams, our players get adjusted to the pace and speed of the game at an elite level. At the end of the season, we are comfortable playing those teams.”

The grueling week for the girls varsity tennis team continues with a matchup against Lowell on Wednesday, April 22, at 4:15 PM. FHC hosts the Red Arrows in its first true dual of the season.