ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – The College of Saint Benedict tennis team (3-5, 2-2 MIAC) returns to action this weekend with a pair of matches, beginning with a nonconference tilt against Northwestern-St. Paul (6-12) at 12:30 p.m., on Saturday, April 11, in Collegeville, Minn.

The Bennies then resume MIAC play on Sunday, April 12, traveling to Winona, Minn., for a 3 p.m., matchup against Saint Mary's (5-6-1, 0-6-0 MIAC).

Weekend Matchups

Saint Benedict has entered the heart of its MIAC schedule, with seven matches remaining—six against conference opponents—leading up to the MIAC Championships, scheduled for April 28 through May 2. Following this weekend, CSB will host St. Catherine on April 18 before traveling to St. Scholastica on April 19.

Scouting the Opponents

Northwestern-St. Paul, led by head coach Matt Swigart, has gone 2-2 over its last four matches, including losses to Hamline (6-1) and UW-River Falls (5-2), along with a 4-3 win over Ripon College. The Bennies hold a 7-2 advantage in the all-time series, including a 7-0 victory on April 25, 2025. The series dates back to March 21, 2015, when CSB earned a 5-4 win.

Saint Mary's, under head coach Jeff Halberg, enters with a 5-6-1 overall record and is still seeking its first MIAC win (0-6). The Cardinals most recently fell to Gustavus Adolphus (7-0) on March 29, St. Catherine (7-0) on March 27, and Concordia (5-2) on March 20. CSB leads the all-time series 26-6, though Saint Mary's claimed a 6-3 win on April 12, 2025. The Bennies' last win in the series was a 9-0 sweep on April 19, 2025, with the matchup dating back to April 21, 1979.

By the Numbers – CSB Tennis

Under veteran head coach Jack Bowe, Saint Benedict owns a 15-33 record in singles play this season. Sophomores Lila Collins (Brainerd, Minn.), Ella Marohl (St. Cloud, Minn.), Allyson Yahn (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) and Kaitlyn Rahne (Hutchinson, Minn.) lead the team with 3-5 records, while junior Marie Labenski (Northfield, Minn.) has added two wins.

In doubles, the Bennies are 7-17 overall. The duo of Claire Erdal (Brainerd, Minn.) and Collins leads with three victories, while Yahn and Marohl have contributed two wins.

Season Recap

Saint Benedict opened the season with a 5-2 MIAC loss to Hamline on February 15, highlighted by Ellie Huber's (Sioux Falls, S.D.) comeback win at No. 1 singles and a victory from Collins at No. 4.
The Bennies responded the next day with a 5-2 conference win over St. Olaf, winning five of six singles matches behind victories from Marohl, Yahn, Collins, Labenski and Rahne.

During its spring break trip in Orlando, Fla., CSB fell 7-0 to Franklin & Marshall and UW-La Crosse but picked up a 5-2 win over Edgewood, claiming the doubles point and four singles victories.
Returning to MIAC play, the Bennies dropped a 7-0 decision to Gustavus Adolphus before bouncing back in their most recent outing with a 5-2 win over Concordia-Moorhead.

In that victory, CSB swept doubles play and secured four singles wins. Marohl, Yahn, Labenski and Rahne each earned singles victories, while the doubles teams of Ellie Huber and Labenski, Yahn and Marohl, and Collins and Erdal all posted wins to clinch the opening point.