WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University's Zoie Becker (St. James, Minn.) was in the midst of a stellar freshman campaign for the Cardinal women's tennis team when the pandemic put the brakes on things.
 
Unfazed, Becker has picked up right where she left off, collecting wins in each of her first five singles matches — including both contests last week — earning the Cardinal sophomore Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Athlete of the Week honors.
 
Becker, who finished 7-2 in last year's pandemic-shortened 2020 season, extended her season-opening winning streak to four with a three-set, 4-6, 6-4, 10-7 win over St. Catherine's Elsa Joly at No. 5 singles last Friday. Becker then recorded win No. 5 — equaling her career-high five-match singles winning streak of a year ago — with a straight-set, 6-3, 6-1 win over Wartburg's Georgia Niesen at No. 4 singles the following afternoon.
 
Becker and the Cardinals (3-2 overall) are back in action this weekend, hosting Hamline and St. Olaf in a pair of MIAC matches at the Winona Tennis Center. SMU and HU will square off at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, with the Oles coming to town at 12:30 p.m. the following afternoon.