SIOUX FALLS, SD – Forced to play a pair of Northern Sun matches from start to finish within 18 hours on the road, the University of Mary tennis team gained their first win of the season. After opening Saturday with a 7-2 loss to Minnesota State University in a match that concluded after midnight, the Marauders were back on the court early Sunday and rolled to a 7-2 win over Southwest Minnesota State. The victory over the Mustangs was the first of the year for the Marauders.
 
Minnesota State 7 University of Mary 2
The Marauders managed a pair of wins in singles competition but was unable to claim any victories in doubles in a 7-2 loss to the Mavericks in a match played in Sioux Falls, SD.
 
The Mavericks pulled out a couple close victories in pairs play to sweep all three doubles matches.
 
Down 7-2 in the #1 doubles, Catherine Gibbens and Eileen Leong made a furious comeback before falling just short 8-6 to their MSU counterparts.
 
Second doubles was a back-and-forth match featuring strong serves by Marauders freshman Lucia Bolibruch and nifty defense from senior Meredith Holt. The match stayed on serve until the middle when the Mavericks managed a service break that lifted the MSU twosome to a narrow 8-6 win.
 
Hard serving and excellent lobs by MSU kept the Marauders number three doubles team of Shanna Stevenson and Lisa Anderson on their heels. Despite their sharp net pay, the Marauders duo lost 8-3, only their second loss of the season.
 
Gibbens and Leong carried their late surge in doubles over to their effort in singles.
 
An all-conference performer, Gibbens played in the match of the night, outlasting Kelly Lechowski in a grueling three-hour contest that ended after midnight. The pair was forced to go to a tiebreaker after Gibbens claimed the first set 6-4 and Lechowski grabbed the second 7-5. Despite playing through an elbow injury that forced her to retire during a match last Sunday, Gibbens grabbed the tiebreaker 11-9.   
 
Leong earned the Marauders second win of the night at #5 singles. The junior rolled to a 6-1 win in the opening set before claiming a narrow 7-5 win in the second over Lisa Dobbelaere to improve her season mark to 3-1.
 
At second singles, Holt lost a tough match in a tiebreaker. The senior claimed the first set 6-3 before MSU's Melissa Mashburn earned a 6-3 win in set two and taking the tiebreaker 10-6.
 
University of Mary vs Minnesota State
Feb 25, 2017 at Sioux Falls, S.D.
Minnesota State 7, University of Mary 2
Singles competition
1. Gibbens, Catherine (MARY) def. Lechowski, Kelly (MSU) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (11-9)
2. Mashburn, Melissa (MSU) def. Holt, Meredith (MARY) 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-6)
3. Ryan, Monika (MSU) def. Bolibruch, Lucia (MARY) 6-2, 6-1
4. Doran, Killian (MSU) def. Bruss, Anastasia (MARY) 6-3, 6-0
5. Leong, Eileen (MARY) def. Dobbelaere, Lisa (MSU) 6-1, 7-5
6. Schmidt, Abby (MSU) def. Wolf, Danielle (MARY) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Streeter, Erin/Mashburn, Melissa (MSU) def. Gibbens, Catherine/Leong, Eileen (MARY) 8-6
2. Lechowski, Kelly/Spielman, Kelly (MSU) def. Holt, Meredith/Bolibruch, Lucia (MARY) 8-6
3. Ryan, Monika/Schmidt, Abby (MSU) def. Anderson, Lisa/Stevenson, Shanna (MARY) 8-3
Match Notes:
University of Mary 0-5, 0-5 NSIC
Minnesota State 2-5 (2-4 NSIC)
 
 
 
Mary 7 Southwest Minnesota State 2
Despite a short night and forced to play without their team co-captain and top singles player, the Marauders rolled over the Mustangs 7-2 to garner Mary's first win of the season. While forced to forfeit number one singles and number one doubles due to illness, the Marauders won all seven matches decided on the court.
 
Starting play at 8 am after wrapping up after midnight the night before, the Marauders second and third doubles teams looked well-rested as they rolled to a pair of wins. Meredith Holt and Lucia Bolibruch showed great communication and teamwork to pick up an 8-3 win in second doubles. Lisa Anderson and Shanna Stevenson posted a dominating performance to win #3 doubles 8-0 and improve to 4-2 on the season.
 
Holt and Anastasia Bruss picked up the slack to make up for missing fellow senior Catherine Gibbens.
 
Holt went the distance to capture second singles. The La Crosse, WI, native opened with a 6-4 win in the first set over Hannah Starke before falling 6-7 (4-7) in the second. Forced into her third tiebreaker of the season, Holt came through 10-5 to claim a gutsy win, her first in singles this season.
 
Bruss started slow at #4 singles but showed her poise and soon took command to cruise to a 6-3, 6-0 win, also her first of the season.
 
Danielle Wolf picked up her first career win with a victory at number six singles. The freshman never trailed in a 6-2, 6-2 win.
 
Fellow freshman Lucia Bolibruch also earned her first collegiate win in singles, rolling to an easy 6-0, 6-4 win in the third slot.
 
Leong continued her strong play this season at fifth singles, winning for the fourth time in five outings. After a sluggish start in dropping the first set 4-6, she rebounded to claim the second set 6-2 and before snaring the tiebreaker 11-9 in the final match of morning.
 
After opening the season with six straight conference matches, the Marauders will play five matches in Orlando, FL, between March 1-3.
 
University of Mary vs Southwest Minnesota State
Feb 26, 2017 at Sioux Falls, SD
(Greatt Life Woodlake)
University of Mary 7, Southwest Minnesota State 2
Singles competition
1. Tellijohn, Gabby (SMSU) def. Gibbens, Catherine (MARY), by default
2. Holt, Meredith (MARY) def. Starke, Hannah (SMSU) 6-4, 6-7 (5-7), 1-0 (10-5)
3. Bolibruch, Lucia (MARY) def. Janka, Paige (SMSU) 6-0, 6-4
4. Bruss, Anastasia (MARY) def. Thompson, Britney (SMSU) 6-3, 6-0
5. Leong, Eileen (MARY) def. Gannott, Jenna (SMSU) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (11-9)
6. Wolf, Danielle (MARY) def. Soupir, Brittany (SMSU) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. Tellijohn, Gabby/Janka, Paige (SMSU) def. Gibbens, Catherine/Leong, Eileen (MARY), by default
2. Bolibruch, Lucia/Holt, Meredith (MARY) def. Starke, Hannah/Thompson, Britney (SMSU) 8-3
3. Anderson, Lisa/Stevenson, Shanna (MARY) def. Gannott, Jenna/Soupir, Brittany (SMSU) 8-0
Match Notes:
University of Mary 1-5, 1-5 NSIC
Southwest Minnesota State 2-8, 0-6 NSIC
 
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