ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict tennis team is off to a hot start so far this spring, and each match, different members of the team pull through with big wins.
This weekend, that athlete was Erin Kolbow. The junior went undefeated at both singles and doubles in a pair of wins last week – including a big win over St. Cloud rival and Division II St. Cloud State – to help CSB improve to 8-0. For her big weekend, Kolbow is this week’s CSB Athlete of the Week.
Kolbow started the weekend with a 6-3 win at No. 2 doubles with partner Tessa Rahrick against the Huskies. The win was one of two CSB doubles wins to help the team take a 1-0 lead over St. Cloud State heading into singles play. Kolbow dropped her first set at No. 4 singles against SCSU, but fought back to win the next two 6-2, 6-2, to get CSB a valuable singles point en route to a 5-2 win over the D2 Huskies.
Saturday at Concordia, Kolbow had a hand in two more wins to help CSB start MIAC play with an 8-1 victory over the Cobbers. She and Rahrick moved to 8-0 on the season at No. 2 doubles thanks to an 8-3 win, and Kolbow improved to 5-2 overall – and won her fifth straight singles match – with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles.
Kolbow is 5-2 in singles play and undefeated with Rahrick at No. 2 doubles. As a team, Saint Benedict is 8-0 overall – its best start since 2005-06 – and 1-0 in the MIAC. The team is back in action Saturday when it takes on St. Kate’s at the Baseline Tennis Center in Minneapolis.
