The Gustavus women’s tennis team opened up its MIAC season with a pair of victories over Hamline and Saint Benedict on Saturday in St. Peter, Minn. The Gusties defeated Hamline 9-0 before taking down Saint Ben’s 9-1 later in the day. Gustavus improves to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the MIAC. Hamline falls to 0-3 overall and 0-1 in the MIAC, and the Blazers drop to 3-1 overall, and 0-1 in the MIAC.
The Gusties swept both the singles and doubles competition in their 9-0 win over Hamline. Sam Frank defeated Kelsey Eatherton 6-2, 6-0 at #1 singles, Megan Gaard defeated Anna Yarbrough in 6-0, 6-0 at #2, Alex Erickson defeated Kristen Kiemele 6-2, 6-3 at #3, Julie Bardenwerper defeated Nicole Krier 6-0, 6-4 at #4, Mary Roop defeated Tizzie Allen 6-1, 6-0 at #5, and Mallory Shellum defeated Carissa Wallerich 2-6, 6-3, 10-3 at #6.
In doubles, Barau and Gaard topped Eatherton and McGraw 8-1 at #1 doubles, Frank and Erickson beat Kiemele and Krier 8-1 at #2, and Roop and Born defeated Yarbrough and Wallerich 8-2 at #3.
The Gusties swept doubles in their match with Saint Benedict as well. Gaard and Barau took down Lauren Jones and Sarah Rossman 8-2 at #1, Frank and Born defeated Alyson Brandell and Jamie Hoffman 8-3 at #2, and Erickson and Bardenwerper beat Kylie Huether and Megan Seipel 8-4 at #3.
Alex Erickson was the first to finish in the singles competition, defeating Brandell 6-1, 6-0 at #3. Frank defeated Huether 6-1, 6-0 at #1, followed by Gaard topping Jones 6-3, 6-3 at #2, and Born defeating Seipel 6-4, 6-1 at #6. The Blazers’ only win came at #5 singles when Rossman defeated Mary Roop 2-6, 6-1, 12-10 in three sets. Bardenwerper capped off the match with a 7-6 (7-5), 6-2 victory at #4.
Gustavus 8 def. Saint Benedict 1
The Gustavus women’s tennis team will be back on the court this weekend when it competes at the 2011 ITA Indoor Tennis Championship held March 4-6 at the Swanson Tennis Center on the campus of Gustavus Adolphus College.