Box Score

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Saint Mary's University women's tennis team got their Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament off to a roaring start Friday morning, as the Cardinals cruised to an impressive 7-2 win over Hamline.

That roaring start, however, came to a roaring halt in the second round, as the Cardinals dropped a 9-0 decision to conference powerhouse Carleton, then lost back-to-back 6-3 decisions to St. Olaf and Bethel.

"Despite the score (in the Carleton match), the ladies played very well all day," said SMU coach Jeff Halberg. "We came out in that first match (against Hamline) and really took it to them. It was a great match all the way around – and a great way for us to get the (conference) tournament started.

Carleton, which posted their second straight 9-0 win over the Cardinals this season, won all six singles matches in straight sets, with Lisa Thompson (Lake City, Minn.) and Aubrey Hirsch (Topeka, Kan.) giving the Knights a run for their money at No. 3 and No. 6 singles, where Carleton came away with 7-5, 6-3 and 7-6, 6-4 wins, respectively.

The Cardinals won five of the six singles matches in their opening-round win vs. Hamline, as Ashley Meschke (Pequot Lakes, Minn.), Thompson, Becky Newby (Brookfield, Wis.) and Lindsay Johnson (Rogers, Minn.) all won in straight sets, while Ann Leeder (Greenfield, Wis.) rallied from a set down to post a 4-6, 6-4, 10-2 win at No. 2. SMU completed the win with victories by Thompson-Michele Clarke (Omaha, Neb.) at No. 2 doubles and by Newby-Hirsch at No. 3.

Against the Oles, Newby and Hirsch accounted for all three SMU wins, as Newby posted a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles, while Hirsch added a three-set, 1-6, 6-3, 10-7 triumph at No. 6. The two then teamed up for an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles.

SMU fell behind 3-0 against Bethel in the seventh-place match, dropping all three doubles matches. Meschke, Leeder and Newby all posted straight-set singles wins, but it wasn't enough as the Cardinals closed out their season dropping three straight.

"It was kind of a tough way to end the season, but these ladies have a lot to be proud of," said Halberg. "They just didn't have anything left in the tank (against Bethel). They fought so hard in that Olaf match, they just ran out of gas against Bethel.

"I can't say enough about the way they played this year," continued Halberg, whose women's team finished with a 12-9 overall record — their first-ever winning season. "There were so many positives this season — and, hopefully, this was just a sign of good things to come in the future."