GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University men's tennis team kicked off a busy, three-match-in-two-days schedule in impressive fashion Saturday afternoon.
 
The Cardinals ended the first day in much the same fashion.
 
Saint Mary's raced out to a convincing 3-0 lead and picked up wins in all six singles matches — including four straight-set victories — en route to a 9-0 win over Lawrence at the Green Bay Tennis Center.
 
The Cardinals followed that performance up with a near-repeat showing, cruising to an 8-1 nonconference win over Ripon to conclude the day 2-0.
 
"It was a great day all around for the guys," said Saint Mary's coach Jeff Halberg. "We played very well — top-to-bottom — in both matches."
 
Josh Janssen (Green Bay, Wis.) and Matt Besek (Winona, Minn.) teamed up for an 8-1 win at No. 3 doubles, while Tucker Stene (Fridley, Minn.)/Brendon Raabolle (Andover, Minn.) delivered an 8-2 win at No. 2 and Evan Huemoeller (Owatonna, Minn.)/E.J. Hietala (Duluth, Minn.) chipped in an 8-3 win at No. 1.
 
Hietala posted a 6-0, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles and Caden Rodning (Mason City, Iowa) notched a 6-3, 6-1 victory at No. 6. Stene and Raabolle both posted 6-1, 6-1 victories, while Huemoeller needed three sets to post a 7-6 (5), 1-6, 10-4 triumph at No. 1 and Janssen notched a 6-1, 5-7, 11-9 marathon victory at No. 3.
 
It was more of the same against Ripon, as Saint Mary's collected straight-set singles wins from Hietala, Stene, Raabolle, Besek, and Caden Rodning, while Huemoeller outlasted the Red Hawks' Caleb Slippel 6-4, 3-6, 10-4 at No. 1.
 
Raabolle/Rodning delivered an 8-1 win at No. 2 doubles and Peter Quinn (Lake Elmo, Minn.)/Philip Apel (North Oaks, Minn.) chipped in an 8-0 victory at No. 3.
 
The Cardinals (3-1 overall) return to the Green Bay Tennis Center on Sunday, squaring off against St. Norbert in a 9 a.m. nonconference match.
 
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