BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict, which concluded the regular season with a 7-2 loss to regular season MIAC champion Carleton College (18-0, 10-0 MIAC), will be seeded sixth and travel to face No. 3 Bethel on Wednesday, April 26 at 3:30 p.m., as the MIAC Championships open.
The Bennies, which had an eighth straight win by No. 1
Ashley Tarrolly and a win at No. 3 doubles against Carleton, finished the regular season at 9-7 and 6-4 in the MIAC. For the Bennies, it is the squad's first season in the MIAC since going 6-4 in 2013-14. CSB will now face a Bethel team the Bennies edged 5-4 in the final regular season home match on Saturday, April 22 at Sartell. CSB will make its second straight appearance in the MIAC postseason playoffs.
Carleton is the top-seed and will face the lowest remaining seed to Northfield on Friday, April 28 while No. 2 Gustavus (9-1) will host the higher seed in St. Peter. Both semifinal matches are tentatively set for 3:30 p.m. starts as well. Saturday's championship match is tentatively scheduled for 1:00 p.m. on the home court of the top remaining seed.
Match dates, times, and locations are subject to change due to weather. The tournament victor will receive the MIAC Playoff championship plaque and the Conference's automatic bid to the 2023 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis Tournament. Gustavus has won a MIAC-best eight playoff championships since 2007. Carleton is a five-time champ, having enjoyed a three-peat from 2012-14, another in 2019, as well as last year's crown, while St. Thomas snagged title wins in 2015 and 2021.
CSB falls to Carleton despite 8th straight No. 1 singles win by Tarroly
On Sunday in Lakeville, Minn., CSB (9-7, 6-4 MIAC) dropped the 7-2 decision to Carleton (18-0, 10-0 MIAC), but No. 1 singles standout and sophomore
Ashley Tarrolly continued her outstanding season.
Tarrolly defeated a regionally ranked opponent for a second time this year as she improved to 9-2 overall and 7-2 in the MIAC with an eighth-straight singles win by tiebreaker. Tarrolly recorded a 6-4, 2-6 and 1-0 (10-8) win over Amelia Asfew of Carleton. Tarrolly rallied to win in impressive fashion as she trailed 8-4 in the tiebreaker before winning six straight points.
CSB also won at No. 3 doubles as
Maria Bedford and
Jane Bodensteiner finished off a strong 2023 season with an 8-2 victory over Amanda Black and Alise Pederson of Carleton. With the victory, Bedford/Bodensteiner finished 11-3 with a 7-2 conference mark. They won their second straight and 8-of-10 to close the regular season.
At the other singles spots, Carleton picked at wins, including at No. 2 singles as Mary Hose defeated junior
Peyton Kopel, 6-0, 6-0. Kopel concluded the regular season at 7-9 overall and 4-6 in MIAC play.
At No. 3 singles, sophomore
Greta Nesbit dropped a 6-4, 6-0 decision at Mariam Nechiporuk. As a result, Nesbit is now 9-7 with a 7-3 MIAC mark.
Junior
Jane Bodensteiner lost a 6-3, 6-1 decision of Miriam Shteyman at No. 4 singles to fall to 10-5 overall and 6-4 in the MIAC.
At No. 5 singles, sophomore
Sophia Jonas dropped a 6-2, 7-6 (7-1) decision to Piper Brown.
Senior
Maria Bedford dropped to 13-3 and 8-3 in the MIAC at No. 6 singles after losing a tiebreaker to Sydney Bell, who took a 6-3, 6-7 (7-5), 1-0 (10-7) decision in a closely contested match.
In doubles play, CSB's No. 1 team of Tarrolly/
Kopel was defeated by by Asfaw/Hose of Carleton, 8-4. Tarrolly/
Kopel now stand 6-5 overall and 4-5 in
MIAC play.
At No. 2 doubles, CSB's squad of
Anne Bowe and
Sophia Jonas, 8-1. Bowe/Jonas stand 3-5 overall and 2-4 in
MIAC play.
