Results

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The St. Catherine University tennis team was riding a three-match win streak into their Saturday meeting against Gustavus Adolphus College at the University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Center. The Wildcats gave the nationally ranked Gusties all that they had in the two hour long match, but ultimately fell 8-1.

Gustavus took all three points in doubles play, but St. Kate's forced the Gusties to earn those three points. The Wildcats No. 2 doubles team of Alicia Knoll (Waseca, Minn. / Waseca) and Leah Obert (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) lost to Ally Baker and Brianna Hartmann 8-0, while No. 3 team of Jessica Duda (St. Michael, Minn. / St. Michael-Albertville) and Ruth Rike (Pine City, Minn. / Pine City) fell 8-3 to Sid Dirks and Katie Aney. At the No. 1 doubles spot, Mikinzee Salo (Brainerd, Minn. / Brainerd) and Angie Lorenzen (Mitchell, S.D. / Mitchell) gave Michaela Schultz and Lizzy Stancyzk a run for their money but lost in the end 8-5.

Knoll earned St. Kate's only point in singles play at the No. 2 spot in a thrilling three set victory over Stancyzk. After losing the first set 6-7, Knoll bounced back to take the second set by the same score. Then, she dominated the determining tiebreaker, taking the individual match 6-7, 7-6, 10-1.

 Salo, Lorenzen, Duda, Obert, and Rike were all swept in straight sets in their respective spots to give Gustavus the 8-1 victory.

With the loss, the Wildcats overall record falls to 8-6, and they are now 3-4 in MIAC play. If the season were to end today, St. Kate's would be in the fifth spot in the conference and would make the playoffs for the sixth consecutive season. The Wildcats still have five games remaining on the schedule, and three of those five are against MIAC opponents. St. Kate's will return to the court to play St. Cloud State University on April 15 and will play Bethel University on April 16.