BLOOMINGTON, Minn. - The St. Catherine University tennis team continues their hot streak moving to a perfect 5-0 record for their best start since the 2013 season with a 5-4 victory over No. 26 Carleton College. The last time St. Kate's claimed a victory over the Knights was on February 24, 2013 also winning that match 5-4. 

After taking down St. Thomas last weekend for the first time seven seasons, the Wildcats were determined to keep the win streak alive against last year's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) regular season and playoff champion. The loss is the Knights first of the season and their first conference loss since April 2018 when they fell to Gustavus 7-2. 

After doubles play, St. Catherine trailed the Knights 2-1 dropping the No. 1 and 2 doubles matches. At the No. 1 spot were senior Bri Dorr and first-year Kelsey Dorr falling 8-7 to the Knights. B. Dorr and K. Dorr played a tight match losing in the tiebreaker set while the No. 2 doubles match was played by seniors Alisha Wiedmeier and Maddy Knoll. The senior duo also fell to the Knights with a score of 8-5. St. Catherine claimed the doubles point in the No. 3 position with first-year Sofia Walker and junior Ella Graham securing the victory in a close tiebreaker with a score of 8-7. 

In singles play, Walker and Knoll were defeated in the No. 2 and No. 5 positions giving the Knights a 4-1 lead with four matches to play. At No. 2, Walker lost her match with set scores of 6-1,6-2 while Knoll fell 6-2, 6-4. After dropping the first two singles points, St. Catherine came from behind to secure four singles victories en route to the win over Carleton. 

B. Dorr played in the No. 3 singles position claiming her first set 6-4 only to fall in set two 6-0 forcing the tiebreaker. In the deciding set, B. Dorr was able to rebound from the loss taking the tiebreaker 10-8 getting St. Catherine to 4-2. "Today we came out ready to play, and when it got tight we battled back, said Bri Dorr. "Everyone at every spot fought hard and brought the energy necessary to win." Shortly after, Graham earned the Wildcats third point over Carleton with a 6-4, 6-2 victory at the No. 6 spot. 

With the intensity high, the Wildcats and Knights battled it out at the No. 1 and No. 4 matches played by K. Dorr and Wiedmeier, respectively. At No. 4, Wiedmeier secured the first set victory 7-6 and dropped set two by the same score. The senior was able to clinch the match deciding point winning the tiebreaker 10-8 while K. Dorr was wrapping up her tight match. K. Dorr dropped her first set to Carleton's No. 1 7-6 before coming back to take set two 7-5. She claimed the win for St. Kate's in the tiebreaker taking the set 11-9. 

St. Catherine will host Saint Mary's University on Saturday, March 14 at 11 am at Baseline Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Minnesota.