ST. PETER, Minn. — To say that Gustavus headed into Saturday's Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match against the Saint Mary's University men's tennis team with a gaudy 2021 resume would be an understatement.
 
After all, the Gusties — boasting a No. 13 national ranking — took the court unbeaten in five conference matches, winning all five by 9-0 counts, while owning seven sweeps overall.
 
And GAC lived up to its billing against the Cardinals, dropping just one game in the three doubles matches and 13 in the six singles matches in dealing Saint Mary's a 9-0 setback at the Swanson Tennis Center.
 
"Gustavus is No. 13 in the country for a reason — they are very, very good," said Saint Mary's coach Jeff Halberg. "We gave it a fight, but they were just too deep for us."
 
Gustavus raced out to a quick 3-0 lead, winning the three doubles matches 8-0, 8-0, and 8-1, before collecting six straight-set victories in the singles portion for its fourth straight win.
 
The Cardinals (1-5 MIAC, 3-7 overall) are right back in action on Sunday, returning home to the Winona Tennis Center for a 9 a.m. MIAC match against Concordia.