SARTELL, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict tennis team won two of the three singles matches that went to extra sets Saturday evening, but the one extra-set win was enough to give St. Cloud State the edge.
The Bennies fell 5-4 to Division II rival St. Cloud State Saturday at the second annual Jerry Anderson Legacy match at Sta-Fit in Sartell. The Bennies (1-2) won the first legacy match – created to honor former SCSU coach Jerry Anderson – in 2018-19, but the Huskies take home the traveling trophy this year after a four-hour match.
"The SCSU match is always a battle, and today was definitely a battle," CSB head coach
Michael Engdahl said. "I was really impressed with the improvement we made from (Friday) night. We were playing the type of tennis we want to play, and that is going to translate into wins later in the season. We are headed in the right direction, and it's going to be a fun April."
St. Cloud State led 2-1 after doubles play thanks to wins at No. 1 and 2 doubles. First year
Jane Bodensteiner and sophomore
Maria Bedford picked up the Bennies' lone doubles win at No. 3 doubles, winning 8-5.
Lily Fredericks and
Peyton Kopel lost 8-5 at No. 1 doubles, and
Kayla McIver and
Anne Bowe lost by the same score at No. 2 doubles.
Fredericks picked up a 7-5, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles to make it 4-2 in favor of SCSU (3-6) while the two teams waited to see how the extra-set matches would play out. McIver feel 7-5, 6-2 at No. 1 singles and Bodensteiner lost 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 singles.
Kopel pulled out a big win at No. 3 singles – her second singles win of the season – to help keep the Bennies in the match. After holding on to win the first set 7-6, she fell 6-1, but came back to win the third and final set 10-7. Bedford also picked up a big win in extra sets at No. 6 singles, winning 2-6, 7-6, 10-7.
The deciding match came at No. 5 singles, where
Grace Lee hung close with her SCSU opponent, but came up just short. She fell 4-6, 6-4, 10-8.
Saint Benedict is back at home twice next weekend before it hopefully heads outdoors in early April. The team hosts Minnesota-Morris at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, March 27 at Sta-Fit and St. Thomas at 6:30 p.m. Sunday, March 28.
