SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2023: 9-8 Overall

WARTBURG KNIGHTS

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2023: 9-18 Overall

SMU-WAR * LAST MEETING:

March 13, 2021 * Winona, MN

W, 6-3 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

April 1, 2023 * Winona, MN

Macalester * L, 8-1

WARTBURG * LAST ACTION:

April 12, 2023 * Waverly, IA

Buena Vista * W, 9-0

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

April 20, 2023 * Arden Hills, MN

Bethel * 4 p.m.

WARTBURG * UP NEXT: 

April 22, 2023 * Pella, IA

Central-Iowa * 10 a.m.

SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals head into their final nonconference match of the season against Wartburg on Saturday sitting at 9-8 overall, including 2-6 through eight MIAC contests.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint Mary’s got off to a rocky start, dropping all three doubles matches, and never recovered in falling to Macalester 8-1 on April 1 at the Winona Tennis Center.

• ROAD TRIP: Saturday’s match against Wartburg is the first of three road matches to close out the regular season for the Cardinals. … SMU has played just eight of its 17 matches on their home court, where they are 5-3. SMU sports a 4-5 mark away from the Winona Tennis Center.

• SINGLED OUT: Tucker Stene (Fridley, Minn.) picked up his team-leading 11th dual-match singles win against Hamline on March 25. Stene’s 11 singles wins are two more than Caden Rodning (Mason City, Iowa). Brendon Raabolle (Andover, Minn.) is third with eight dual-match victories, followed by Hietala and Janssen with seven each. … Rodning is 7-3 in his last 10 matches, and is riding a three-match winning streak.

• GOING THE DISTANCE: The Cardinals have had 22 singles contests extended to a third set this season — including three each in matches against Saint John’s, Northwestern (Minn.) and St. Norbert. … SMU is 12-10 in those 18 three-set matches. … SMU closed out the 2022 season owning a 22-23 mark in its 45 three-setters.

• CAREER FIRSTS: Philip Apel (North Oaks, Minn.) became the second Cardinal to post his first collegiate victory this season, delivering a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 6 singles against Macalester on April 1. … Rodning’s 6-4, 6-0 win at No. 6 singles against Martin Luther on Jan. 28 was his first collegiate singles victory. … Evan Huemoeller (Owatonna, Min.) posted a 7-5, 7-6 (4) win against Martin Luther on Jan. 28 in his first appearance at No. 1 singles.

• DOUBLING UP: Raabolle leads the team in doubles wins with eight, going 8-7 — including 6-4 partnered with Rodning. … Rodning and Janssen are second on the squad with seven doubles wins, followed by Hietala and Matt Besek (Winona Minn.) with six each. … Besek and Janssen are a perfect 3-0 when paired together. … SMU has used 14 different doubles combinations — including two at No. 1, six at No. 2, and seven at No. 3.

 • PERFECT DAY: Hietala and Janssen enjoyed a perfect day in the Cardinals’ nonconference wins over Albion and Adrian on Feb. 28. The duo each picked up singles wins in both matches, while teaming together for a pair of victories at No. 2 doubles. 

• TOTAL DOMINATION: With their 9-0 win over Martin Luther on Jan. 28, the Cardinals pushed their winning streak to 20 straight against the Knights. SMU has never lost to Martin Luther in program history.

• TURNING THE TABLES: The Cardinals’ win over Bethany Lutheran on Feb. 25 marked the second straight meeting with the Vikings in which the match ended with a 5-4 decision. BLC beat Saint Mary’s 5-4 a year ago.

• OUT OF THEIR LEAGUE: With their wins over Albion and Adrian on Feb. 28, the Cardinals moved to 7-3 in nonconference play this season and 78-36 in non-MIAC matches since 2012. 

• NEW THIS YEAR: The Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division III Operating Committee has instituted a mandatory, no-ad scoring pilot for all of D-III tennis for the 2022-23 season. No-ad tennis matches are played as follows: If each player/team has won three points, the score is “Deuce” and a deciding point shall be played. The receiver(s) shall choose whether to receive the service from the right half or the left half of the court. In doubles, the players of the receiving team cannot change positions to receive this deciding point. The player/team who wins the deciding point wins the game.

WARTBURG KNIGHTS SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Knights head into their nonconference match against Saint Mary’s sitting at 9-18 overall, including sporting a 2-3 mark in its first five American Rivers Conference matches.

• LAST TIME OUT: Wartburg put together a dominating performance on Wednesday, posting its 10th straight win over Buena Vista with a 9-0 A-R-C victory over the Beavers. 

• HOMESTAND: Wartburg’s match against Saint Mary’s is the second of three straight home matches for the Knights, who own a 3-5 record in eight home contests. The Knights are 6-13 on the road this season.

• SINGLED OUT: Jeff Miller leads the Knights with nine singles wins, two more than Elijah Swanstrom and three in front of both Kyle Sehlin and Joseph Haag. … Miller has played three different positions for the Knights, winning twice at both No. 4 and No. 5 singles, while collecting five of his team-high nine wins at No. 6. … Wartburg has had nine different players compete at both No. 5 and No. 6 singles, while seven different players have competed at No. 4 singles, and five Knights have played at Nos. 1, 2, and 3

• DOUBLING UP: Cade Davis and Lucas Huffman have teamed to record a team-high 12 doubles wins — all at No. 1 doubles. … Miller-Haag and Swanstrom-Sehlin are tied for second on the team with six wins. … Miller and Haag have played together at all three doubles positions, going 0-1 at No. 1, 3-7 at No. 2, and 3-5 at No. 3.