Results
ST. PAUL, MINN. – It may only be early April, but the St. Catherine University tennis team already has plans for early May. Thanks to their 6-3 win over Macalester College on Tuesday, the Wildcats qualified for the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, as they can finish no lower than sixth in the official conference standings.
St. Kate's got off to a strong start in doubles play, as the team won all three matches to take an early 3-0 lead.
Alicia Knoll (Waseca, Minn. / Waseca) and
Bri Dorr (Princeton, Minn. / Princeton) got the ball rolling with a quick 8-2 victory over Lily Stein and Maegan O'Herin at the No. 1 doubles spot.
The other two doubles matches were nail biters, as both the Wildcats No. 2 and 3 doubles teams went the distance in their matches.
Alisha Wiedmeier (Rapids City, S.D. / Stevens) and
Julia Sporer (Rogers, Minn. / Rogers) played in the most thrilling match of the evening, as they needed a tiebreaker to beat Jen Koehler and Jessica Ilc 9-8 (7-5). On the other doubles court,
Aubrey Eckstrom (St. James, Minn. / St. James) and
Jessica Duda (St. Michael, Minn. / St. Michael-Albertville) broke Claire Buehler and Rainah Wood in the final sets to earn a 9-7 victory for the Wildcats.
Knoll, Sporer and
Leah Obert (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) found success in singles play, as all three won their matches to clinch the 6-3 victory for St. Kate's. Obert was the first to win in her singles match, defeating Nina Brim 6-3, 6-0 to earn the Wildcats fourth point of the night. Sporer provided the definite point, beating Ilc 6-0, 6-1 to secure the match for St. Kate's, while Knoll rolled to a 6-1, 6-3 victory over Koehler.
Wiedmeier, Dorr and Duda all battled in their respective matches but were unable to come away with victories. Wiedmeier fell at the No. 2 singles spot 6-2, 6-2 while Dorr battled but fell 7-5, 6-1 at the No. 3 spot. After falling 7-5 in the opening set, Duda withdrew due to injury.
With the win, St. Kate's not only qualifies for the MIAC tournament for the seventh consecutive year, but also wins its ninth straight match. The win-streak is the second longest in program history, according to available records, and gives the Wildcats an 11-4 overall record and a 6-2 mark in MIAC play. St. Kate's will return to action on April 23 when it takes on Gustavus Adolphus College.
