ST. JOSEPH, Minn. – With the regular season entering its final stretch, the College of Saint Benedict tennis team (4-6, 2-3 MIAC) returns to the court this weekend for a pair of conference matchups that carry growing importance.
Weekend Matchups
The Bennies open at home on Saturday, April 18, hosting St. Catherine at 12:30 p.m. at Sta-Fit in Sartell, before hitting the road Sunday, April 19, for a matchup at St. Scholastica in Duluth.
As the calendar tightens, so does the race toward the MIAC Championships, set for April 28 through May 2. Saint Benedict has just five matches remaining—all against conference opponents—after this weekend, including trips to Macalester and Bethel and a home finale against Carleton.
Scouting the Opponents
St. Catherine enters Saturday's contest with a 12-5 overall record and a 5-3 mark in MIAC play under head coach Ben Hageseth. The Wildcats most recently fell to Gustavus Adolphus after splitting earlier matches against Macalester and Bethel. Historically, the Bennies hold a narrow 20-17 edge in the series, though St. Catherine claimed an 8-1 victory last season and has won the last two meetings.
On Sunday, Saint Benedict faces a St. Scholastica squad led by head coach Wells Patten. The Saints are 3-14 overall and still searching for their first conference win at 0-6. The Bennies have controlled the all-time series 10-4, including an unblemished record in road contests.
By the Numbers – CSB Tennis
Under longtime head coach Jack Bowe, the Bennies have leaned on a balanced lineup this season. In singles play, sophomore Lila Collins (Brainerd, Minn.) leads the way with a 5-5 mark at No. 4, while Marie Labenski (Northfield, Minn.), Allyson Yahn (Pequot Lakes, Minn.), and Kaitlyn Rahne (Hutchinson, Minn.) have each added four wins. Collins and Labenski have also each collected three MIAC singles victories.
In doubles, Saint Benedict has compiled a 12-18 record, highlighted by the pairings of Claire Erdal (Brainerd, Minn.) and Collins, along with Yahn and Ella Marohl (St. Cloud, Minn.), each earning four wins.
Season Recap
The season has unfolded with its share of momentum swings. Saint Benedict opened with a loss to Hamline before rebounding with a 5-2 win over St. Olaf, fueled by five singles victories.
A spring break trip to Orlando brought tough competition, as the Bennies fell to Franklin & Marshall and UW-La Crosse but responded with a win over Edgewood.
Back in conference play, the Bennies dropped a decision to Gustavus Adolphus before bouncing back with a strong 5-2 victory over Concordia-Moorhead, sweeping doubles and securing four singles wins. That momentum carried into a competitive stretch, including a narrow 4-3 loss to Saint Mary's, where Saint Benedict claimed the doubles point and picked up singles victories from Collins and Labenski.
Earlier, the Bennies secured a 5-2 nonconference win over Northwestern–St. Paul behind a doubles sweep from the teams of Ellie Huber (Sioux Falls, S.D.) and Labenski, Yahn (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) and Marohl (St. Cloud, Minn.), and Collins and Erdal. In singles play, Yahn, Collins, Labenski, and Rahne each added wins to clinch the dual.
