ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – Senior Sophia Jonas is excited about the 2025 College of Saint Benedict tennis team. While young, it is a team that is talented with an unyielding enthusiasm determined to find success this season.

"I am just excited. I just want to have fun. I am not going to set any expectations this season," said Jonas, a senior accounting major from Hudson, Wis., who was one of four CSB All-MIAC players a year ago.

Jonas, who was 7-6 (5-3 MIAC) a year ago with a 10-5 doubles mark, is one of two upper class players on the team (along with junior Kira Young), and she knows the challenge is great but so is the opportunity.

"We have a lot of young players coming in and they're keeping me young. I feel old but I am just excited. I want to see how far we can go exactly. We really have nothing to lose. Like we can just go and play our hearts out, especially with this younger class," added Jonas, who is 17-21 in singles and 23-22 in doubles in her three years at CSB. Jonas now has four All-MIAC honors in two sports, including three in basketball. She was also CSC Academic All-District in basketball and tennis.

A year ago, CSB was 7-10 overall (5-5 MIAC), while graduating the core of their lineup. It was a team that helped CSB make a third straight appearance in the MIAC postseason tournament.

CSB head coach Jack Bowe is confident in the team, which he calls talented. It is a group that earned some experience at the ITA regionals in the fall. Now the spring season begins on Sunday (March 9) at St. Olaf, and he says they are ready.

"We have a lot of talent in this younger group," said Bowe, whose team will play five matches on their spring break trip to Orlando, Fla., including a contest with UW-LaCrosse on March 17. After the trip, the Bennies host Bethel (11 a.m., March 29) and Macalester (3 p.m., March 30) in the first home matches of the spring. Then in April CSB has nine more contests before the MIAC Tourney on April 30 to May 3. For full schedule – click here.

 "Actually, a lot of them are central Minnesota players also. They knew each other from high school," said Bowe. "Along with Sophia, we have two other basketball players (Margaret Silgen and Kira Young). So, we have some multi-sport athletes, which is kind of unique. I am excited to see what this team does with the challenge of the MIAC," he said.

At a media day press conference, a couple of the young players talked about their confidence level and team spirit.

"We are a young competitive team. It is going to kind of fuel that growth for everybody," said sophomore Ella Marohl of St. Cloud, Minn. (St. Cloud Tech). Sophomore Ryanna Steinhaus, who was 4-8 in singles and 3-4 in conference play a year ago, is excited about the growing bond of the team.

"I think the strength we have personally is that we all have a really good attitude and we're all working together as a team and building with each other off of that," said Steinhaus, a sophomore from Litchfield, Minn. "And so I think that just getting to know each other and getting to see what these people are comfortable with and how they play their style is really going to help build our team."

By the Numbers
In doubles in 2023-24, the Bennies finished 30-20, including 22-8 in conference play. CSB was 9-8 at No. 1; 11-6 at No. 2, and 30-6 at No. 3. In singles, CSB finished 40-58 with a 28-32 MIAC mark. CSB was 8-9 at No. 1; 5-11 at No. 2; 6-11 at No. 3; 7-9 at No. 4; 7-9 at No. 5 and 7-9 at No. 6.

In school history, CSB won three conference crowns while in the MWCC. They have had 10 DIII national qualifiers with four All-Americans. CSB has accumulated 385 wins, including 199 in league play (available records), and finished fifth in consecutive seasons. Twenty-seven times, CSB has finished top five in the MIAC and MWCC.