SARTELL, Minn. -- The College of Saint Benedict tennis team used a strong singles performance to earn a 5–2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over St. Olaf on Sunday at Sta-Fit.

The Bennies (1–1 overall, 1–1 MIAC) claimed wins in five of six singles matches to secure the dual after the Oles (3–3, 1–2 MIAC) captured the doubles point.

St. Olaf opened the match by winning two of the three doubles contests. Saint Benedict's lone doubles victory came at No. 3, where sophomore Lila Collins (Brainerd, Minn.) and Claire Erdal (Brainerd, Minn.) teamed for a 6–2 win over Evelyn Smiley and Norah Brusco. At No. 1 doubles, first-year Ellie Huber (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Marie Labenski (Northfield, Minn.) fell, 6–4, to Alexandra Berns and Emma Clift, while the Oles' Elliana Loesch and Keesler earned a 6–4 win over Allyson Yahn (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) and Ella Marohl (St. Cloud, Minn.) at No. 2.

Saint Benedict responded in singles play by taking control of the match. Huber dropped a 6–2, 6–1 decision to Berns at No. 1, but the Bennies swept the remaining five positions.

Marohl started the run with a hard-fought victory at No. 2, defeating Clift, 6–4, 4–6, 1–0 (10–7). At No. 3, Yahn posted a 6–3, 6–4 straight-set win over Mads Hockmuth.

The match continued to swing Saint Benedict's way at No. 4, where Collins rallied after dropping the first set to defeat Smiley, 2–6, 7–6 (7–4), 1–0 (11–9) in a tightly contested battle.  Labenski followed with another comeback win at No. 5, topping Charlotte Sloane, 2–6, 4–6, 1–0 (10–5).

At No. 6, first-year Kaitlyn Rahne (Hutchinson, Minn.) earned the first collegiate victory of her career with a convincing 6–4, 6–0 win over Brusco.

With the victory, Saint Benedict evened its record at 1–1 overall and in conference play. The Bennies will next travel to Orlando, Florida, for their Spring Break trip, where they will face Edgewood on March 16, Wisconsin–La Crosse on March 17, Hamilton College on March 19 and Crown on March 20.