SAINT MARY’S CARDINALS

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2024: 1-0 Overall

MARTIN LUTHER KNIGHTS

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2023: 3-12 Overall

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SMU-MLC * LAST MEETING:

Jan. 28, 2023 * Winona, MN

W, 9-0 * Series History

SAINT MARY’S * LAST ACTION:

Sept. 16, 2023 * River Falls, WI

UW-River Falls * W, 8-1

MARTIN LUTHER * LAST ACTION:

April 24, 2023 * New Ulm, MN

UMN Morris * L, 6-3

SAINT MARY’S * UP NEXT:

Feb. 3, 2024 * Winona, MN

Northwestern * 5:00

Feb. 4, 2024 * Dubuque, IA

U. of Dubuque * TBA

MARTIN LUTHER * UP NEXT: 

Feb. 10, 2024 * Owatonna, MN

Northwestern (Iowa) * 12:30

SAINT MARY’S SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Cardinals, who closed out their 2023 season sitting at 6-11 overall, including a 1-9 showing in conference play, head into their nonconference matchup against Martin Luther sitting at 1-0 overall.

• LAST TIME OUT: Saint Mary’s officially kicked off its 2024 season in 2023, rolling to an 8-1 victory over UW-River Falls in nonconference match on Sept. 16.

• WINNING BIG: Eight of SMU’s last 17 wins have been 9-0 sweeps — including three of SMU’s six victories in 2023 — while five other victories over the last three seasons have been by 8-1 counts. 

• HOME SWEET HOME: The Cardinals are 10-8 in their last 18 home matches — including 4-4 in 2023. … SMU has picked up 14 of its last 21 wins at the Winona TC.

• NEW TERRITORY: The Cardinals’ September showdown with UW-River Falls marked the first time in head coach Jeff Halberg’s 25-year tenure that SMU has played a dual match in the Fall of the academic year. 

• STREAKING ALONG: With their 8-1 win over UW-RF on Sept. 16, Saint Mary’s has now faced the Falcons 20 times since 1997 — winning all 20 contests.

• STREAKING ALONG II: With their 9-0 win over Martin Luther on Jan. 28, 2023, the Cardinals ran their winning streak over the Knights to 17. SMU is 18-1 overall against MLC — and have won the last nine meetings between the two teams by 9-0 counts. … Saint Mary’s has dropped just one game in its six doubles matches against the Knights over the last two years.

• LEADING THE CHARGE: Emily Henderson (Jordan, Minn.), who led the Cardinals in dual-match singles wins with eight last season, picked up right where she left off, accounting for one of SMU’s five singles victories in their 8-1 win over UW-River Falls on Sept. 16. … 

• WIN NO. 1: Emily Dondelinger (Bemidji, Minn.) and Elena Ruzevich (Chicago, Ill.) picked up their first collegiate singles wins in SMU’s 8-1 win over UW-River Falls on Sept. 16. Dondelinger won 2-6, 6-1, 10-7 at No. 3, while Ruzevich posted a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 4. … Kathryn Stiegel (Sauk Rapids, Minn.) was the lone SMU player to pick up her first collegiate singles victory last season, winning 6-2, 6-3 against Bethany Lutheran on Feb. 25, 2023.

• MIXING THINGS UP: The Cardinals used at least two different players at all six singles positions in 2023. Two different SMU players competed at No. 1 singles, while four competed from the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 slots, and five lined up in the No. 5 and No. 6 positions.

• DOUBLING UP: The Cardinals won all three doubles matches against UW-River Falls on Sept. 16, with Henderson/Natalie Peterson (St. Cloud, Minn.) winning at No. 1, with Ella Boomgaarden (St. Peter, Minn.)/Ruzevich and Dondelinger/Lillian Kimber (Duluth, Minn.) following suit at No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. … The doubles tandem of Maddie Dosser (South St. Paul, Minn.)/Henderson teamed up to record a team-leading seven doubles wins a year ago.

• TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Thanks to their 8-1 win over UW-River Falls on Sept. 16, the Cardinals improved to 79-21 against nonconference opponents since 2012.

MARTIN LUTHER SCOUTING REPORT:

• FOR THE RECORD: The Knights kick off the 2024 campaign on the road with Saturday’s nonconference match against Saint Mary’s having gone 3-12 overall a year ago, including 3-7 in 10 UMAC contests.

• LAST TIME OUT: MLC picked up wins at No. 5 and No. 6 singles, and No. 3 doubles, but it was not enough, as the Knights dropped a 6-3 decision to UMN Morris in Mankato, Minn., on April 24.

• LIMPING IN: The Knights head into their season-opener against Saint Mary’s having dropped its last two matches of 2023 — and nine of its last 12. … MLC opened the season with three straight losses, before beating Crown 9-0 on March 21. The Knights then dropped seven straight, before closing out the year with back-to-back wins over Bethany Lutheran and Crown and back-to-back losses to UW-Superior and UMN Morris.

• SUCCESS ON THE ROAD: Martin Luther picked up two of its three wins last season on the road. The Vikings finished 1-4 on its home courts, while going 2-8 on the road.

• SINGLED OUT: Abigail Schewe closed out the 2023 season as the team’s singles wins leader with six, two more than Sarah Hoffe. The pair accounted for 10 of the team’s 20 singles victories a year ago. … MLC used at least three different players at all six singles positions in 2023. … The Knights finished 7-7 at No. 6 singles, but were winless (0-14) at No. 2 and won just twice at No. 1 (2-12).

• DOUBLING UP: The doubles team of Schewe and Katie Kutz collected four of MLC’s nine doubles wins in 2023. They were the only doubles combination to win more than one match a year ago. … The Knights posted a 5-10 mark at No. 3 doubles, while going 2-13 at both No. 1 and No. 2.

• CRUNCHING THE NUMBERS: As a team, MLC finished 20-64 in singles play, and 9-36 in doubles. … Seven of Martin Luther’s 12 losses came by shutout — including five during its seven-match losing streak. … MLC’s three wins last season included 9-0 and 8-1 wins over Crown, and a 5-4 victory over Bethany Lutheran. … MLC played three matches against teams from the MIAC a year ago, falling 9-0 to Saint Mary’s, St. Catherine and Hamline.