ARDEN HILLS, Minn. -- The St. Catherine tennis team defeated the Bethel University Royals 5-4 on Thursday. The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) win on Thursday was the first for the Wildcats since the 2015 season. St. Kate's is now 9-2 this season carrying a 6-1 MIAC record with three regular-season matches remaining. 

The Wildcats found themselves up 2-1 after doubles claiming wins at No. 2 and No. 3. Bri Dorr and Monica Zink secured an 8-3 win in the No. 2 doubles match while Reilee Schepper and Elsa Joly defeated Elise Bierbaum and Ingrid Goldstrand 7-6 at No. 3. The Royals scored their lone doubles point in the No. 1 match with an 8-5 loss to Grace Riermann and Sydney Rott. 

Zink tallied the first singles point for the Wildcats with a 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 6 followed by a win 6-0, 6-1 at No. 3. Joly, Walker, and K. Dorr each found themselves in third set tiebreakers with Walker and Joly falling to their opponents. Joly dropped the No. 4 match 2-6, 6-3, 7-10 first followed up Walker played a tight match falling 6-4, 4-6, 9-11 at No. 2 and. K. Dorr claimed the win at No. 1 over Riermann with a score of 6-4, 4-6, 10-7 up 4-3 with two matches remaining. Schepper appeared in the No. 5 singles match dropping the first set 7-6 playing to a score of 3-1 in set two before retiring from the match to injury. 

St. Kate's is back in action against the College of Saint Benedict on Friday, April 22 at 4:30 pm.