|
Get Email Alerts |
Get Text Updates |
Buy Photos |
| Bethel | Macalester | MIAC |
Home Weekend: The Blazer tennis team gets to host a pair of matches this weekend starting with visiting Bethel on Mar. 8 at 4:30 p.m. Then on Saturday, they host Macalester back at Fitness Evolution at 1 p.m., Mar. 9. The Blazers are coming off a loss in their MIAC opener last weekend at St. Catherine, and enter at 2-1 overall and 0-1 in the MIAC. The Royals carry a 2-4 overall record and 1-3 mark in MIAC action, getting their first league win last weekend. The Scots, meanwhile, enter with a 1-4 overall mark, with a 0-2 record in the MIAC, falling to league powers Carleton and St. Thomas.
About Bethel: Led by new head coach Drew Fernelius, the Royals opened the season with an impressive 6-3 win over strong regional opponent St. Scholastica. In beginning MIAC play, the schedule did the Royals no favors as they met St. Thomas and St. Catherine back-to-back, opening league play 0-2 before earning a 7-2 win over Saint Mary's on Feb. 28 for their first league win, while snapping a three-match losing streak. Most recently, they fell 9-0 last Saturday to defending champion Carleton. Lisa Scheevel has spent much of her season at No. 2 singles, and has posted a 3-1 record near the top of the line-up. At No. 5 singles, Kayla Wheeler is a perfect 5-0, the only Royal who is yet to lost this season.
About Macalester: The Scots lone win this season came over NCAA DII opponent Southwest Minnesota State. Their losses in MIAC play have been 9-0 to defending champion and then-No. 30 Carleton, and 8-1 to St. Thomas who was picked second in the preseason. Three of their four losses have been 8-1 or 9-0, with the fourth a close 5-4 loss to Northwestern, who entered the match winless. Katelyn Glenna and Paige Schaefer have split time at No. 1 singles this season, with Schaefer gaining the position's lone win.
Last Meeting - Bethel: The Blazers took 5-of-6 singles matches on their way to a 7-2 win over the Royals, capping a stretch of five wins in six matches for CSB.
Lauren Jones at No. 2 and
Taylor Reiner at No. 6 singles each posted shutouts, winning 6-0, 6-0, while
Aly Brandell was nearly impressive at No. 1 with a 6-1, 6-0 win.
Megan Seipel and
Alicia Vargas were each winners as well. After a loss at No. 1 doubles the Blazers came back to win both second and third doubles.
Last Meeting - Macalester: The Blazers opened MIAC play last season with a 7-2 win over the Scots, starting the match with wins at both one and two doubles. Leading 2-1 heading to singles play, the Blazers put an exclamation point on the win by taking five-of-six wins in singles play.
Aly Brandell posted a 6-3, 6-4 win at the top of the line-up, while through the middle the Blazers were dominant. At No. 3
Jamie Hoffman win 6-2, 6-1, and at No. 4
Megan Seipel win 6-1, 6-0. Last season the Scots were even on the year at 10-10 with a 3-7 MIAC record, but did finish the season strong, rattling off three straight wins over Bethel, Hamline and Saint Mary's respectively.
Storyline: Can the Blazers get their first MIAC win of the season. The Blazers have played just one conference match this season, falling to upstart St. Catherine last weekend on the road. The Royals have a few more matches under their belt this season, with the Blazers playing just once in the last month. Recent history has gone the Blazers way however, with CSB winning its last seven against Bethel.
Last Time Out: The Blazers fell
8-1 to St. Catherine on Mar. 2, as the Wildcats stayed unbeaten on the season, moving to 6-0. St. Kate's swept through doubles, with the Blazers getting a win from
Aly Dahlquist at No. 6 singles to avoid the sweep. There were some near misses for the Blazers, though, including a three-set loss for
Beth Richmond at No. 5 singles, and an 8-6 setback for
Jamie Hoffman and
Daley Rupar at No. 1 doubles.
Up Next: Saint Benedict will head to Concordia for a lone road match next week, before heading south for Spring Break. The Blazers and Cobbers square off at 5 p.m. on Mar. 16, with Concordia currently holding an 0-8 record with an 0-2 mark in the MIAC. During break, the Blazers will play five matches at Hilton Head Island.
