Results

MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The St. Catherine University tennis team is no stranger to adversity, having opened the season with multiple matches in a single day. However, the Wildcats knew they would have to be at the top of their game if they wanted to beat the University of St. Thomas in their second Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MAIC) match of the year. Although St. Kate's battled for over two hours, the Wildcats were unable to leave Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota with a victory, falling to the Tommies by a score of 8-1.

St. Thomas swept St. Kate's in doubles play, but the Wildcats gave the Tommies everything they had in those three matches. The No. 1 doubles team of Alicia Knoll (Waseca, Minn. / Waseca) and Bri Dorr (Princeton, Minn. / Princeton) stayed on serve with St. Thomas No. 1 team of Caitlin Bakke and Jenna Zimmerman before being broke during the fourth games. Knoll and Dorr eventually fell by a final score of 8-4, which was the closest doubles match of the evening.

At the No. 2 doubles spot, new team of Alishia Wiedmeier (Rapid City, S. D. / Stevens) and Julia Sporer (Rogers, Minn. / Rogers) fell 8-0 at the hands of Paige and Taylor McLeod but not before forcing the Tommies No. 2 team to earn every point. Jessica Duda (St. Michael, Minn. / St. Michael-Albertville) and Aubrey Eckstrom (St. James, Minn. / St. James) took one set from St. Thomas No. 3 team Paige Becher and Lauren Keller before falling by a score of 8-1.

The Wildcats fought valiantly in singles play after falling behind 3-0. Sporer won her match at the No. 5 singles spot in dramatic fashion, beating Jenna Czarnecki 6-4 in the opening set before falling 2-6 in the second. The two needed a tie-breaker to determine the winner, which Sporer won handily 10-3.

Knoll nearly came up with an upset over regionally ranked Zimmerman before falling at the No. 1 singles spot 6-2, 6-2, while Wiedmeier fell to Bakke at the No. 2 spot 6-2, 6-4. Dorr battled Becher in both sets before falling 6-3, 6-3 at the No. 3 spot, leaving Kailey Maroney (Montevideo, Minn. / Montevideo) and Eckstrom to try and pick up wins for St. Kate's at the No. 5 and 6 spots. Sadly, Maroney and Eckstrom both fell in straight sets by scores of 6-0, 6-0 and 6-1, 6-3.

Despite the hard fought battle, the Wildcats lost the match 8-1, falling to 2-3 overall with a 1-1 mark in MIAC play. St. Kate's will enjoy a week off of competition before returning to face Carleton College on March 4 at Baseline Tennis Center.