Top-seeded Saints, Eagles advance to UMAC women's tennis championship
ST. PAUL, Minn.---The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) women's tennis postseason tournament got underway Wednesday and saw the top two seeds win to set up a familiar rematch between the College of St. Scholastica and the University of Northwestern for the championship Saturday.
In the early match, No. 2 Northwestern took down No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Superior in chilly conditions in St. Paul, while No. 1 St. Scholastica finished off No. 4 University of Minnesota Morris 8-1 indoors in Virginia, Minnesota.
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Tournament Site |
Semifinal 1 |
Semifinal 2 |
No. 1 St. Scholastica def No. 4 Minnesota Morris, 8-1 |
Box Score |
The No. 1 Saints took on a No. 4 Minnesota Morris squad Wednesday that was making it's first UMAC tournament appearance since 2014. Experience paid off for the Saints as they jumped out to an early 2-1 lead after taking No. 2 and No. 3 doubles in 8-1 fashion. The Cougars pulled off the upset at No. 1 doubles with Maddie Johnson and Kate Obright winning 8-7 after the tiebreaker.
In singles, the Saints sealed the win quickly with Elise Hauer nabbing the win at the top spot of the lineup 6-1, 6-3, while Sara Wennerstrand made quick work of her opponent at No. 2 singles with a 6-1, 6-0 decision to clinch the match with five points. The remaining victories came in straight-set fashion from Katelyn Rice at No. 3 singles, Elizabeth Fink at the No. 4 spot, Brynne Hauer at No. 5 and Taylor Hays at No. 6.
With the win, the Eagles have now won seven of their last eight matches and improve to 16-6 overall. The Cougars fall to 6-7 on the season after a much-improved year.
No. 2 Northwestern def No. 3 Wisconsin-Superior, 7-2 |
Box Score |
The No. 2 Eagles met the No. 3 Yellowjackets for the second time in the last week and jumped out to an early lead taking all three doubles sets. At No. 3 doubles, Gracie Lebrun and Rachel Lukarilla cruised to a 8-1 win, while the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles pairs were pushed further in 8-5 decisions.
Leading 3-0, the Eagles scored a quick straight-set win from Lukarilla at No. 4 singles. Lebrun won at No. 5 singles after playing a tiebreaker to decide the match. Mafee Rinta battled for a three-set victory at No. 6 singles to add a sixth point.
The final point of the night came from Nikki Paskewitz next at No. 1 singles in a 6-1, 6-2 victory. The Yellowjackets got a straight-set decision from Maya Callaway at No. 3 singles, while Alison Tollas grabbed a 7-5, 6-4 win in a marathon match at No. 2 singles to close out the contest.
The Eagles improve to 14-10 on the season and have now won five of their last six matches. Wisconsin-Superior ends its second season as a program with a 8-9 record after back-to-back tournament appearances.
Playoff Schedule
Semifinal - Wednesday, May 1
No. 1 St. Scholastica def. No. 4 Minnesota Morris, 8-1 |
Box Score |
CSS Recap |
UMM Recap |
No. 2 Northwestern def. No. 3 Wisconsin-Superior, 7-2 |
Box Score |
UNW Recap |
UWS Recap |
Championship Match - Saturday, May 4
No. 2 Northwestern at No. 1 St. Scholastica, 4 p.m., Duluth, Minn. (Longview Tennis Club, 326 N 25th Ave E)
Event Information
All matches will be hosted by the highest seed. There will be no charge for admission to the UMAC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships in 2019.
All tournament information including scores, recaps, team information and more can be found on the
UMAC Women’s Tennis Tournament page. Keep up with all of the tournament action on
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2019 Tournament Page