By DONNY NADEAU
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Talk about jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
 
Just a day after squaring off against what coach Jeff Halberg called "the best Bethel team I have seen in my 27 years of collegiate coaching," the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's tennis team found themselves staring across the net at St. Thomas — winners of their first four matches of the season.
 
And while the Cardinals put together one of their better performances of the season, St. Thomas proved to be too much, as the Tommies dealt Saint Mary's a 9-0 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback Saturday afternoon at the University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Center.
 
"We played a much better match today," said Halberg. "We really didn't get started against Bethel (Friday night), but today we gave a very strong St. Thomas team a great match.


"Our effort today was outstanding — which is very encouraging for the matches we have ahead of us."
 
The Tommies improved to 15-0 in doubles play this season, taking 8-4, 8-2, and 8-3 victories off the Cardinals. St. Thomas completed the sweep with six straight-set singles matches — but it was anything but easy for the Tommies.
 
Cassandra Barr (Eau Claire, Wis.) dropped a tough, 6-3, 6-4 decision at No. 2 singles, while Laura Sonday (West St. Paul, Minn.) suffered a hard-fought 6-2, 6-3 decision at No. 1.
 
The Cardinals (0-3 MIAC, 2-4 overall) are right back in action on Monday and Tuesday, squaring off against the Davenport (Mich.) University and Hanover as part of the spring trip to Orlando, Fla.