Results
MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. – The hope for head coach
Megan Gaard was that the St. Catherine University tennis team would be playing its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MAIC) matches outside to close out the regular season. While Mother Nature hasn't necessarily gone along with this plan, the Wildcats were undeterred, netting a huge 7-2 conference win over Saint Mary's University at Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota Friday evening.
St. Kate's got off to a rip-roaring start in doubles play, as it took a 3-0 dual match lead by sweeping all three matches. The Wildcats No. 1 team of
Julia Sporer (Rogers, Minn. / Rogers) and
Alisha Wiedmeier (Rapid City, S.D. / Stevens) kicked things off with a huge 8-6 victory over Laura Sonday and Colleen Lois, while
Ella Graham (Madison, S.D. / Madison) and
Bri Dorr (Princeton, Minn. / Princeton) cruised to an 8-2 victory at the No. 2 spot.
Aubrey Eckstrom (St. James, Minn. / St. James) and
Maddy Knoll (Waseca, Minn. / Waseca) clinched the final point in doubles play to put St. Kate's ahead 3-0. The No. 3 team clinched a big 8-4 victory over the Cardinals Ashley Frederickson and Marissa Kinzer to help the team go undefeated in doubles play.
Still, the Wildcats needed to win at least two individual matches in singles play to earn a dual match victory, and they did just that. St. Kate's singles players won four of the six singles matches in the 7-2 victory, including two three-set victories at the No. 2 and 3 singles spots. As the team's No. 2 singles player, Wiedmeier earned a huge come-from-behind victory over Cassie Barr in what was one of the most exciting matches of the evening. After dropping the first set 6-3, Wiedmeier forced the tiebreaker in dramatic fashion, breaking Barr's serve in the final game of set two to win 7-5. She then cruised to a 10-3 win in the tie breaker, winning the match 3-6, 7-5, 10-3.
Sporer also needed three sets to dispatch of Lois, as she was victorious by a score of 6-4, 0-6, 10-2. The lone senior for the Wildcats showed grit and resiliency, opening with a big 6-4 victory in set one and rebounding for the 10-2 tiebreak win after a disappointing 6-0 set two loss.
Leah Obert (Inver Grove Heights, Minn. / Simley) and Knoll were also victories for St. Kate's in singles play Saturday night. Obert dominated in her match over Frederickson, winning in straight sets 6-0, 6-2 as the No. 5 singles player, while Knoll cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 victory at the No. 6 spot.
Both Dorr and Graham battled in their respective singles matches but were unable to come away with a victory. As the team's No. 1 singles player, Dorr fell to Sonday 6-2, 6-2, while Graham fell at the No. 4 spot 6-4, 1-6, 10-4.
With the victory, St. Kate's overall record improves to 9-3 and the team is now 2-3 in MIAC play. The Wildcats will return to action on April 17, when they plan to play Macalester College at 5 p.m. in St. Paul, Minnesota.
