Bruss and Benda vs Duluth
Mo Schroeder

Women's Tennis Jon Montoya, Graduate Asst. Sports Information

Marauders Rally for Doubles Sweep in Win over Bulldogs

BISMARCK, N.D. - Needing only two singles wins to secure the team victory, the University of Mary Women's Tennis team rebounded from their sweep in the previous week to take the win over the University of Minnesota Duluth.
 
The Marauders (1-1, 1-1 NSIC) got the doubles sweep after a furious comeback from the duo of Anastasia Bruss and Monica Benda, and had the team win well in hand on the heels of Eileen Leong and Catherine Gibbens for a 6-3 final team score over the Bulldogs (0-3, 0-1 NSIC).
 
Sarah Janes and Meredith Holt were billed as the number one duo against Shelby Benkofske and Drew DeCorsey, and the Marauder pair built up an early set lead and eventually coasted to an 8-5 final score. Leong and Gibbens were paired at the number two spot against Jillian Klasen and Karly Weber, with the Marauder duet cruising to an eventual 8-3 win over the Bulldogs.
 
The doubles matchup of the day came at the number three spot with Bruss and Benda paired up against Kelsey Zetah and Katie Baasch, and the Bulldog twosome held a commanding 5-2 lead over the Marauder pair midway through the match.
 
Bruss and Benda buckled down and fought tooth-and-nail to split the next sets for a 6-3 deficit to the Bulldogs, and the Marauder pair rallied for five straight set wins to take the marathon match at 8-6, completing the doubles sweep for U-Mary.
 
The singles matches wasted little time to get started as Gibbens, Leong, Bruss, and Benda were the first four Marauders on the court to secure the team win.
 
Gibbens took on Benkofske at the number two singles spot as the match was highlighted by several long back-and-forth rallies. Gibbens proved to be the more experienced of the two as she kept Benkofske at bay for the 6-4, 6-4 singles win.
 
Leong had a tough battle at the number five spot against Baasch, but the Marauder proved she would not go through the sophomore slump as her match featured several serves and returns that landed right on the side and backlines as Leong's match secured the team win after a 6-3, 6-2 final score.
 
Bruss had a difficult singles matchup of her own at the number four spot against Klasen as the Marauder look to recapture the magic that earned her the doubles win, but the Bulldog proved more resilient on her own as she took the match at 6-4, 6-3.
 
Benda got her second taste of Division II tennis as she took on Rachel Menke at the number six spot, and the Bulldog built up a commanding lead that proved too much for the Marauder to overcome at a 6-2, 6-1 final score.
 
Janes started off the bookend of the match at the number one spot against DeCorsey, and the Marauder proved her absence from last season made a lot of difference as she powered her way through the matchup with fast serves and strong returns en route to a 6-2, 6-2 final score.
 
Holt was the last Marauder to round out the singles competition at the number three spot against Kaitlin Wohnoutka and the first set needed a tiebreaker as Holt fought back from a 4-3 deficit to even the score at 6-6.
 
Holt and Wohnoutka traded shots back-and-forth throughout the tiebreaker and the Bulldog eventually claimed the first set at 7-6. Holt tried to maintain her momentum into the second set, but the tank ran out of gas as Wohnoutka took the set at 6-2 to claim the match and put the team score final at 6-3.
 
The Marauders will host St. Cloud State University tomorrow at 12 PM at the Capital Racquet and Fitness Center to round out the weekend homestand.
 
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Players Mentioned

Anastasia  Bruss

Anastasia Bruss

Junior
Catherine  Gibbens

Catherine Gibbens

Junior
Meredith Holt

Meredith Holt

Junior
Sarah  Janes

Sarah Janes

Senior
Eileen Leong

Eileen Leong

Sophomore
Monica Benda

Monica Benda

Freshman

Players Mentioned

Anastasia  Bruss

Anastasia Bruss

Junior
Catherine  Gibbens

Catherine Gibbens

Junior
Meredith Holt

Meredith Holt

Junior
Sarah  Janes

Sarah Janes

Senior
Eileen Leong

Eileen Leong

Sophomore
Monica Benda

Monica Benda

Freshman