ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict tennis team (5-10 overall, 2-7 MIAC) is set to close out the regular season with a jam-packed weekend, featuring two home matches and a road trip to one of the MIAC's top contenders.
CSB opens the weekend at home on Friday, April 25 at 4 p.m., hosting Northwestern (8-13) in nonconference play. On Saturday, April 26 at 1 p.m., the Bennies will celebrate Senior Day with a match against UW-River Falls (7-12), honoring senior
Sophia Jonas—an accounting major from Hudson, Wis.—for her contributions to the program. The regular season concludes on Sunday, with a tough road test at Carleton College (12-3, 7-1 MIAC) in Northfield.
Season in Review
CSB opened the year with a 7-2 loss to St. Olaf, but bounced back with a strong showing during its spring break trip to Florida, collecting wins over Western Connecticut State (7-0), St. Norbert (4-3), and Crown College (7-0). After returning home, the Bennies earned a solid 6-3 win over Macalester and later defeated Concordia-Moorhead (7-2).
Despite recent losses to strong MIAC opponents like Saint Mary's, Gustavus Adolphus, and St. Scholastica, the team has seen bright spots in singles play from
Marie Labenski,
Lila Collins, and
Allyson Yahn, particularly in their match against Hamline.
Match Previews
Northwestern (Friday – Home)
The Eagles come in with an 8-13 record under longtime head coach Matt Stigart. Northwestern holds a 54-72 singles mark and a 35-28 record in doubles. CSB leads the all-time series 6-2 and has won five straight, including a dominant 9-0 win in 2023. The Bennies are 6-0 at home in the series.
UW-River Falls (Saturday – Home, Senior Day)
Led by second-year coach Jon Koenigs, the Falcons are 7-12 this season. They recently beat Minnesota Morris (7-0) but dropped matches to St. Olaf and Gustavus. In 2024-25, they've gone 39-75 in singles and 20-37 in doubles. CSB holds a 3-1 all-time edge, with a 7-2 win in their last meeting (Sept. 2021).
Carleton College (Sunday – Away)
Carleton, coached by Luciano Battaglini, is a perennial MIAC power and owns a 12-3 record (7-1 MIAC). The Knights finished last season with an 18-1 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA DIII Tournament. Carleton leads the all-time series 31-6 and defeated CSB, 9-0, in 2024. The Knights boast a 71-19 singles record and 31-14 mark in doubles this season.
CSB Player Highlights – By the Numbers
Directed by veteran head coach
Jack Bowe, the Bennies have shown growth, particularly in singles. Here's a look at individual standouts:
Singles:
Doubles:
- Labenski/Steinhaus: 3-2 – Solid chemistry
- Collins/Marohl: 3-5 (MIAC)
- Jonas/Perbix: 2-6 (2-5 MIAC)
