Box Score

NORTHFIELD, Minn. — It would be easy to speculate that, since the Saint Mary's University women's tennis team made school history last Wednesday with its 10th win of the season — a 7-2 nonconference win over UW-River Falls — the Cardinals might come out a little flat during the opening round of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships Friday morning.

Flat? This team? Yeah, right.

In fact, it was just the opposite, as SMU swept through all six singles matches en route to an 8-1 victory over Hamline in the tournament's opening round — extending the Cardinals' school-record win total to 11..

Ashley Meschke (Pequot, Lakes, Minn.), Lisa Thompson (Lake City, Minn.), Liz Hilke (Barabook, Wis.), Emily Strom (Waterford, Wis.) and Jennifer Cochran (Winona, Minn.) all posted straight-set singles wins, while Christina Tobin (Oak Park, Ill.) tallied a three-set, 6-3, 1-6, 10-7 win at No. 3 to complete the sweep.

Thompson and Tobin also teamed for an 8-3 win at No. 1 doubles, while Hilke and Cochran chipped in an 8-3 win at No. 3.

Now comes the hard part.

As good as easy as win No. 11 proved to be, posting win No. 12 was virtually impossible — no matter how good the Cardinals played.

SMU's first-round win put them opposite top-seeded Gustavus — the Gusties are the top-ranked team in the region and ninth in the nation, and haven't lost a dual match to a MIAC team in 13 years.

And they still haven't, as GAC swept through the six singles in straight sets and won all three doubles handidly in knocking off the Cardinals 9-0 to win its 133rd straight match against MIAC opponents.