MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — You'll have to excuse Saint Mary's head coach Jeff Halberg if he's feeling a severe case of déjà vu.
 
After all, for the third straight match, his Cardinals played to an 8-1 decision Thursday evening.
 
Unfortunately, for the third straight match, it was the Cardinals on the wrong end of that 8-1 decision, as the Royals handed Saint Mary's an 8-1 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference setback at Baseline Tennis Center.
 
"We fought hard," Halberg said. "We just didn't have enough firepower to compete with a playoff-caliber team like Bethel. Tip your caps to them — they are a very talented foe."
 
Bethel jumped out to a 2-1 lead after the three doubles matches, with Evan Huemoeller (Owatonna, Minn.) and Brendon Raabolle (Andover, Minn.) accounted for the SMU victory, posting an 8-6 triumph at No. 2.
 
The Cardinals could not match the Royals' fire-power in the six singles matches, however, as BU posted six straight-set wins to seal the victory.
 
The Cardinals (2-6 MIAC, 9-10 overall) close out their 2023 regular-season schedule on Saturday, heading to the Duluth Indoor Sports Center in Duluth, Minn., for a 1 p.m. MIAC match against St. Scholastica.
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