SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Wrapping up their first road trip of the regular season with an early-morning match, the University of Mary Women's Tennis team took on perennial NSIC Champion Augustana University for their first difficult test of the season.
 
The Marauders (1-4, 1-4 NSIC) had their hands full with the Vikings (6-0, 4-0 NSIC) as nothing went in U-Mary's favor en route to the 9-0 loss.
 
The doubles competition set the tone for the rest of the match as U-Mary's best outing came at the number two spot with Eileen Leong and Catherine Gibbens. Unfortunately, the Vikings offered little maneuvering room as they took the match at 8-2 and eventually took the doubles sweep.
 
U-Mary mixed up the starting lineup as Sarah Janes swapped singles spots with Gibbens but neither of the two could find purchase as Gibbens lost at the number one spot to Jessa Richards at 6-0, 6-0, while Janes dropped the number two singles spot to Sydney Postal at 6-2, 6-3.
 
Leong left everything on the court in the number five singles spot against Christine Olivo as the Marauder forced the first set into a tiebreaker but couldn't seal the deal as the Viking took over with a 7-5 decision. Alas, Leong ran out of gas in the second set and Olivo took home the 6-0 decision for the match.
 
Meredith Holt fought hard at the number three singles spot against Berkley Darr, but couldn't find the winning combination as Darr refused to slow down in a 6-2, 6-1 match win.
 
Anastasia Bruss and Monica Benda rounded out the singles spots at number four and six, respectively, but couldn't make a dent in their opposition as the Vikings secured the match sweep with consecutive 6-0, 6-0 wins.
 
The Marauders will head east next week as they face Southwest Minnesota State University and Minnesota State University in neutral site matches out in Fargo, N.D., starting at 3 PM on Saturday, February 27.
 
Singles competition
 
1. Richards, Jessa (AUGIE) def. Gibbens, Catherine (MARY) 6-0, 6-0
2. Postal, Sydney (AUGIE) def. Janes, Sarah (MARY) 6-2, 6-3
3. Darr, Berkley (AUGIE) def. Holt, Meredith (MARY) 6-2, 6-1
4. Lawrence, Meredith (AUGIE) def. Bruss, Anastasia (MARY) 6-0, 6-0
5. Olivo, Christine (AUGIE) def. Leong, Eileen (MARY) 7-5, 6-0
6. Motley, Kaitlyn (AUGIE) def. Benda, Monica (MARY) 6-0, 6-0
 
Doubles competition
 
1. Richards, Jessa/Staniszewska, Kornel (AUGIE) def. Janes, Sarah/Holt, Meredith (MARY) 8-0
2. Postal, Sydney/Darr, Berkley (AUGIE) def. Gibbens, Catherine/Leong, Eileen (MARY) 8-2
3. Lawrence, Meredith/Motley, Kaitlyn (AUGIE) def. Bruss, Anastasia/Benda, Monica (MARY) 8-1
 
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