VIRGINIA, MN – Playing a pair of Northern Sun tennis matches back-to-back over the span of eight hours, the University of Mary earned a split of its doubleheader. The Marauders opened with an 8-1 loss to host Bemidji State University before rebounding with a win over the University of Minnesota Crookston by an identical 8-1 score.
 
In the opener, the Marauders didn't have a solution for an improved Beavers squad. BSU captured all three doubles matches and five out of six in singles.
 
Eileen Leong was the Marauders bright spot for Mary against BSU. The junior from Pierre, SD, jumped out fast in first set with a 6-0 shut out in #4 singles. In the second set Breann Walsh rebounded early but Leong closed strong with some deft service returns and athletic baseline rallies for a 6-4 win to capture her match in straight sets.
 
Anastasia Bruss battled at #3 singles, pressing Hannah Alme to an extra game before falling short 5-7.  Bruss fought to a 4-3 lead in the second set before she ultimately succumbed 4-6.
 
The rest of the Marauders singles lineup also went down in straight sets.
 
Cristina Bremer grabbed an early lead in #6 singles but could not manage to hold off Claudia Bellows in a 6-4, 6-1 loss.
 
Left-handed UMary freshman Danielle Wolf faced another lefty in Brooke Mimmack. Wolf couldn't find an advantage in a 6-3, 6-0 loss.
 
The top of the line-up fared no better as freshman Lucia Bolibruch dropped a 6-3, 6-2 decision to Ariadna Lopez-Simo 6-3, 6-2 at #2 singles.
 
At #1 singles, senior Meredith Holt suffered a 6-2, 6-0 loss to Zoe Lindgren.
 
After winning their home debut two weeks ago, the Marauders revamped #1 doubles team of Holt and Bolibruch dropped their first road match, falling to an experienced Bemedji tandem of Morgan Opp and Lindgren 8-1.
 
Another newly-paired duo of Leong and Bruss used a furious comeback in #2 doubles to give themselves a chance to win in regulation with one last service break. BSU held serve to force the tiebreaker and used some pinpoint serves to win 9-8 (7-3). Bruss, a hard-serving senior from Rochester, MN, stepped up nicely to fill a big hole left in the lineup due to an injury to co-captain Catherine Gibbens.
 
At #3 doubles, Shanna Stevenson and Lisa Anderson searched all match to solve the play of Bemidji State's duo if Sabrina Okeson and Breann Walsh. The Marauders fell 8-1 in a match much closer than score indicated. Taking nearly every game to deuce, the Mary pair just could not find a way to close it out.
 
In the nightcap, UMary handily dismantled a depleted UMC squad 8-1 that forfeited three matches (two singles and one doubles match) due to injuries and illness.
 
Able to mix up the lineup, several Marauders had the opportunity to shine in the win. Anderson and Stevenson moved up two slots and played number one doubles for the first time this season. The duo rolled to an 8-3 win.
 
At number two doubles, Wolf teamed with Jennifer Stover to shut out UMC 8-0.
 
In singles play, Bruss jumped up to #2 singles and acquitted herself quite well, picking up a 6-1, 6-0 straight set win over Reanne Erickson. Bremar and Anderson were perfect at #3 and #4 singles respectively, at they both rang up identical 6-0, 6-0 straight set wins.
 
Holt suffered a tough defeat at #1 singles. The senior from La Crosse, WI, overcame a 6-4 setback in the first set to win the second 6-2 and force a tiebreaker. Playing in her four match of the day and her team-high fifth tiebreaker this season, Holt fell 10-5 in the extra session to Whitney Erickson.
 
The Marauders close out the regular season with a pair of matches in Fargo, ND, on April 8-9, facing Upper Iowa on Saturday and Winona State on Sunday, the second and third place teams in the Norther Sun.
 
University of Mary vs Bemidji State
Apr 01, 2017 at Virginia, MN
(Quad Cities Tennis Club)
 
Bemidji State 8, University of Mary 1
 
Singles competition
1. Lindgren, Zoe (BSU) def. Holt, Meredith (MARY) 6-2, 6-0
2. Lopez-Simo, Ariadna (BSU) def. Bolibruch, Lucia (MARY) 6-3, 6-2
3. Alme, Hannah (BSU) def. Bruss, Anastasia (MARY) 7-5, 6-4
4. Leong, Eileen (MARY) def. Walsh, Breann (BSU) 6-0, 6-4
5. Mimmack, Brooke (BSU) def. Wolf, Danielle (MARY) 6-3, 6-0
6. Bellew, Claudia (BSU) def. Bremar, Cristina (MARY) 6-4, 6-1
 
Doubles competition
1. Opp, Morgan/Lindgren, Zoe (BSU) def. Holt, Meredith/Bolibruch, Lucia (MARY) 8-1
2. Lopez-Simo, Ariadna/Alme, Hannah (BSU) def. Leong, Eileen/Bruss, Anastasia (MARY) 9-8 (7-3)
3. Okeson, Sabrina/Walsh, Breann (BSU) def. Anderson, Lisa/Stevenson, Shanna (MARY) 8-1
Match Notes:
University of Mary 3-10 (1-7 NSIC)
Bemidji State 10-3 (5-3)
 
 
University of Mary vs Minnesota Crookston
Apr 01, 2017 at Virginia, MN
(Quad Cities Tennis Club)
 
University of Mary 8, Minnesota Crookston 1
 
Singles competition
1. Erickson, Whitney (UMC) def. Holt, Meredith (MARY) 6-4, 2-6, 10-5
2. Bruss, Anastasia (MARY) def. Erickson, Reanne (UMC) 6-1, 6-0
3. Bremar, Cristina (MARY) def. Ruckheim, Hanna (UMC) 6-0, 6-0
4. Anderson, Lisa (MARY) def. Nguyen Tien (UMC) 6-0, 6-0
5. No player (MARY) def. No player (UMC), by forfeit
6. No player (MARY) def. No player (UMC), by forfeit
 
Doubles competition
1. Anderson, Lisa/Stevenson, Shanna (MARY) def. Erickson, Whitney/Erickson, Reanne (UMC) 8-3
2. Wolf, Danielle/Stover, Jennifer (MARY) def. Ruckheim, Hanna/Nguyen Tien (UMC) 8-0
3. No player/No player (MARY) def. No player/No player (UMC), by forfeit
Match Notes:
University of Mary 4-10 (2-7)
Minnesota Crookston 0-12 (0-8 NSIC)
T-3:01 A-27
 
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