HILTON HEAD, S.C. — The Saint Mary's University women's tennis team's spring trip hasn't exactly started the way Cardinals had hoped.

First, SMU's first match vs. Cabrini on Monday was cancelled because Cabrini couldn't make the trip. Then, the Cardinals had to face MIAC power St. Benedict on Tuesday, and the Blazers showed why they are one of the top teams in the conference, blanking SMU 9-0.

"I thought we played much better than the final score indicated," admitted SMU coach Jeff Halberg. "We played some good tennis, but they were just too deep for us in singles."

St. Benedict won all six singles matches in straight sets, with no SMU player managing to win more than three games. Kim Bennett (Fort Dodge, Iowa) and Nicole Hilo (Mendota Heights, Minn.) dropped a nail-biter at No. 1 doubles, 8-6, but that was as close as any doubles team could get as the Cardinals dropped to 2-6 in the MIAC and 2-7 overall.

Singles
1. Katie Kaufman (SB) d. Christina Tobin, 6-3, 6-2
2. Chris Welle (SB) d. Kim Bennett, 6-1, 6-1
3. Laura Pavela (SB) d. Nicole Hilo, 6-3, 6-2
4. Heidi Waldschmidt (SB) d. Anna Tomes, 6-3, 6-3
5. Lyndsey Hoemberg (SB) d. Dena Bing, 6-3, 6-1
6. Laura Holton (SB) d. Emily Strom, 6-0, 1-0 (retired)

Doubles
1. Kaufman-Welle (SB) d. Bennett-Hilo, 8-6
2. Towne-Hoemberg (SB) d. Tomes-Bing, 8-4
3. Holton-Tessa Schommer (SB) d. Tobin-Keely Nyquist, 8-2