The Blue Angels tennis program has been increasing their success ever since the end of the 2011 season. Since the end of that winless season, MMU has stepped up each year, but the 2014 season began with tone setting match-up against Concordia Chicago on Sept. 4 2014.

Even during the tough stretches, the Blue Angels doubles’ teams could compete with stiff competition. The Achilles’ heel of the team throughout their NCAA campaign has been their singles’ play, most notably the top half of the singles’ lineup.

At the dawn of that 2014 season, the Blue Angels changed that tune. Ana Mercado (Grafton, Wis.) took control of the first singles match right away. A relentless attack of the Cougars top singles player gave Mercado her first win of the season, but perhaps more importantly it would be the first time since the 2009 that  MMU won their first singles’ match.

That success continued all the way down the lineup. As MMU continued to demonstrate the power of their top talent, in the number two singles’ match Shauna Jacobs (East Troy, Wis.) battled to win her match winning 7-5, 6-2. That would mark the first time since joining the NCAA ranks, that MMU won the top two singles’ matches.

The Blue Angels wound up defeating CUC 6-3 in the overall dual match. The tone set in that first contest led MMU to tie the Mount Mary single season record for wins as a team going 6-2. That success began with one of the most memorable moments in 2014 MMU athletics.