Results

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – After three consecutive losses, the St. Catherine University tennis team found their way back to the win column in dramatic fashion. The Wildcats defeated Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) opponent Saint Mary's University 5-4 Friday night at the Baseline Tennis Center on the University of Minnesota campus.

St. Kate's was hoping to avoid falling in the conference standings in the match against Saint Mary's. Unfortunately, they found themselves in a 1-2 whole after doubles play. No. 1 doubles team Mikinzee Salo (Brainerd, Minn. / Brainerd) and Angie Lorenzen (Mitchell, S.D. / Mithcell) dominated in their match, beating the Cardinals Laura Sonday and Kirsten Hoffman 8-0. That, however, was the Wildcats only victory in doubles play. No. 2 team Alicia Knoll (Waseca, Minn. / Waseca) and Jessica Duda (St. Michael, Minn. / St. Michael-Albertville) and No. 3 team Julia Sporer (Rogers, Minn. / Rogers) and Ruth Rike (Pine City, Minn. / Pine City) both fell by a score of 8-5. Sporer and Rike broke Saint Mary's twice to bring the score to 5-7 but ultimately fell in the final set.

Down 1-2, St. Kate's had some ground to make up in singles play. However, straight set wins by Salo and first year Leah Obert (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) gave the Wildcats a 3-2 advantage. The Cardinals, though, weren't going to back away quietly, getting wins from both their No. 3 and No. 4 singles players.

Knoll notched a win at the No. 2 singles spot, beating Hoffman 6-3, 6-1 in straight sets and tying the score at four points apiece. That left Sporer as the final St. Kate's player in action at the No. 5 singles spot. Sporer lost the first set to Saint Mary's Haley Jorgensen 6-1 before rallying to win set two 6-2. In the tiebreaker, Sporer came out on top, winning the marathon final set by a score of 13-11.

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 5-3 on the season with a 2-3 record in MIAC play. They now hit the road for spring break to take on four different teams in Orlando, Florida. St. Kate's will play Carthage College on Sunday before taking on Hamilton College and Elmhurst College on Monday and closing with a match against Hollins University on Wednesday.