ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict tennis team got its season started on the right foot with a 9-0 sweep of Morningside College (Iowa) Saturday morning in St. Joseph.
 
Three of the team's five newcomers got playing time in doubles, singles or both, and combined with returning talent, the team picked up a win to start the season. Saint Benedict also scrimmaged against Southwest Minnesota State, but the exhibition match was cut short due to rain. The match marked the team's first match played on the newly redone CSB tennis courts.
 
"(Saturday) was a good day for us," head coach Michael Engdahl said. "The first-year players got to get some nerves out, and we got to set the tone for a great season ahead. For first matches, we accomplished what we needed to, and we have many positives to build on."
 
Doubles set the tone for the match and gave CSB a 3-0 lead out of the gate. Tessa Rahrick and Lily Fredericks got things started with an 8-4 win at No. 1 doubles, and Kayla McIver and first year Anne Bowe followed suite with an 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles. Karsen Aune and first year Maria Bedford wrapped up doubles play with an 8-2 win at No. 3.
 
Rahrick started her senior singles season with a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles. McIver won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 2 singles, and sophomore Grace Lee won 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles in the first collegiate tennis match of her career. Bowe also picked up a win to start her CSB career, coming out ahead 6-4, 6-2 at No. 4 singles, and Aune won 6-3, 6-2 at No. 5 singles. Bedford started her college tennis career on a high note, winning 6-4, 6-2 at No. 6 singles.
 
CSB is on the road for a scrimmage against Moorhead, Mary and Concordia Sunday, Sept. 8. That triangular will be played in Fargo, N.D. The team's next official matches are Saturday, Sept. 14, when it travels to Eau Claire, Wis., to take on UW-River Falls and UW-Eau Claire.