ST. JOSEPH, Minn. -- Ashley Tarrolly and Anne Bowe of the College of Saint Benedict tennis team have a near life-long connection. They were teammates at St. Cloud Tech High School, helping lead the girls tennis team to a 20-2 record and a berth in the Class 2A state title match in 2017 - when Tarrolly was in ninth grade and Bowe was a junior.

But their relationship goes back even further than that.

"We've been friends since I was in second grade," Tarrolly said. "She is genuinely one of the best friends I've had in my entire life."

Part of the connection revolves around Anne's father, Jack Bowe, the longtime head coach at Saint John's University and a perennial fixture on the Central Minnesota tennis scene. He's worked with Tarrolly since she was young and with Anne since … well, birth.

So when he took over the head coaching reigns at CSB this season, returning to a job he held from 1991-97, it set the stage for bringing the duo together as teammates once more.

Anne Bowe, who had not played tennis since she was a first-year, decided to return to the sport for her senior season - joining Tarrolly, who is now a sophomore on the Bennies' roster.

"I was feeling pretty burnt-out and I felt like I was done with tennis," she said. "But having the chance to play for my dad, and knowing I'd get the chance to play with Ashley again, reignited my love for the sport."

So far, the reunion is paying dividends. CSB is 8-6 overall and 5-3 in MIAC play heading into matchups with conference foes Bethel and Carleton this Saturday (April 22) and Sunday (April 23) to finish the regular season. They currently sit fifth in the conference standings. The top six teams make the MIAC playoffs, which begin on April 26.

Tarrolly has been a huge part of that success. She is currently riding a six-match winning streak, including a big 6-7, 6-1, 1-0 (12-10) win over Yuki Oda of Gustavus in No. 1 singles in a matchup last Sunday. Both players are ranked in the latest NCAA Division III Region VII rankings.

"She's on a roll," said Jack Bowe, who also serves as the head coach at SJU. "You don't go out and beat the No. 1 singles player at Gustavus very often. She's playing really well right now.

"I've known Ashley forever. I actually coached her mom in high school and I've given lessons to her grandmother as well. So I'm working on my third generation with that family," said Jack Bowe.

Anne Bowe, who earned all-state honors at Tech in both 2018 and 2019, has established herself as a fixture in CSB's doubles during her first season on the court in three years.

"It's taken me a little while to shake some of the rust off, but I'm so glad I came back," she said. "I didn't realize how much I missed the sport not playing the past two seasons. It's been so nice to get this final year and being able to play for my dad and with Ashley has been the icing on the cake."

Like Bowe, Tarrolly comes from a family quite familiar with the sport. Her older sisters, Taylor and Katelyn, were standouts at Tech. And Ashley closed her prep career with 168 wins, the most in program history. She finished fourth in singles at the Class 2A state tournament in 2018 and was named the St. Cloud Times player of the year in 2019.

She came into college with already enough credits to graduate with an economics degree in three years, making this her second-to-last season. That fact, as well as knowing she is playing with Bowe for the final time, has made this spring all-the-more special.

"Every moment is really precious and I just want to make the most of them," she said. "I'm trying to savor every match."

Both players said they are focused on doing whatever it takes to make the MIAC playoff field, then surprising some people once they get there.

"We're really on our game right now," Tarrolly said. "I think our energy level has been a big contributor to the success we've been having. We're all there supporting one another and cheering each other on."