http://miac-online.org/news/2013/5/3/WTEN_0503135905.aspx
ST. PETER, Minn. -- The 2013 MIAC Women's Tennis Playoffs were
forced indoors by Mother Nature when quarterfinal play began
Friday, but everything else went according to plan as the top two
seeds won their first-round matches to punch their tickets to
Saturday's semifinals. No. 3 Gustavus and No. 4 St. Thomas won to
join top-seeded St. Catherine and No. 2-seeded Carleton in the
semis.
Gustavus - playing as the No. 3 seed on its home court - got a 5-0
win over No. 6 Bethel to reach Saturday's semifinals, while St.
Thomas scored a 5-2 win over fifth-seeded St. Olaf to also punch
its ticket to the second round. Now the top two seeds -
regular-season champion St. Catherine and runner-up Carleton -
await Friday's winners in the semifinals after enjoying a
first-round bye. With the move indoors, Friday's matches were
played to decision rather than completion.
No. 3 Gustavus 5, No. 6 Bethel 0 | Box
Score |
The Gusties were swift and impressive in their 5-0 victory over the
Royals, sweeping the three doubles matches to take a commanding
lead and finishing off the win by taking the top two singles
matches. In fact, Gustavus didn't drop a set, winning all but five
doubles games, and winning in straight sets at Nos. 1 and 2
singles.
Laurel Krebsbach and Annie Mahoney teamed up for an 8-1 win at No.
1 singles and Heather Annis and Mallory Shellum were a perfect
tandem at No. 2, winning 8-0. The best doubles match came at No. 3,
where Gustavus' Sidney Dirks and Maddie Lindstrom edged Bethel's
Abby Kreklau and Kayla Wheeler 8-4. Krebsbach was perfect at No. 1
singles, winning 6-0, 6-0, and Annis won a pair of hard-fought
sets, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 2 singles to seal the Gustavus victory.
No. 4 St. Thomas 5, No. 5 St. Olaf 2 | Box
Score |
In Friday's other quarterfinal, St. Thomas rode a tremendous
doubles performance and a couple key singles win to a 5-2 victory
over the fifth-seeded Oles. UST was victories in all three doubles
matches - and near-perfect at Nos. 2 and 3 - and then claimed
singles wins at No. 3 and No. 4 after the Oles charged back by
taking the top two singles matches.
Mary Allen and Shelby Henderson from St. Thomas edged St. Olaf's
Alisa Hall and Julia Ellis in the best doubles match of the day,
8-6, to get the Tommies off on the right foot. St. Thomas' Kara
Lefsrud and Bridget Noack teamed up for an 8-2 win at No. 2
doubles, and Brittany Alexander and Claire Elkin gave the Tommies a
perfect 8-0 sweep at No. 3 doubles.
St. Olaf showed impressive symmetry, earning identical 6-1, 6-2,
wins at both No. 1 and No. 2 singles. Hall was the winner in the
top spot, with teammate Ellis adding a same-score win in St. Olaf's
singles slot. However, Lefsrud and Noack both continued their big
days, with Lefsrud winning a thriller at No. 3, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4, and
Noack clinched the UST win with a 6-3, 6-0, win at No. 4.
Saturday's semifinals set
Awaiting the winners are St. Catherine and Carleton ... the 2013
regular season champ and the defending MIAC Playoff champ,
respectively. As the top remaining seed, Gustavus will be matched
up with Carleton in the semifinals, and St. Thomas will take on the
Wildcats. The two semifinal matches are scheduled to start at 11:30
a.m. Saturday, with the two winners advancing to the 4 p.m.
championship match. As always, the winner will receive the MIAC's
automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division III Women's Tennis
Tournament.
The host school, Gustavus, will offer live results throughout the
course of the tournament. Links to live scores, as well as complete
schedules, results, stats, recaps, photos, team information and
more can be found on the 2013
MIAC Women's Tennis Playoffs web site. Fans can also connect
and interact during the tournament on the MIAC's Facebook page, and on
Twitter (@MIAConline)
using the hashtags #MIACtennis and #MIACPlayoffs.
2013 MIAC Women's Tennis Playoffs
Quarterfinals: Friday, May 3, 2013
No. 3 Gustavus 5, No. 6 Bethel 0 | Box
Score | Photos: GAC
- BU
|
No. 4 St. Thomas 5, No. 5 St. Olaf 2 | Box
Score | Photos: UST
- STO
|
Semifinals: Saturday, May 4, 2013
No. 1 St. Catherine vs. No. 4 St. Thomas | 11:30 a.m. |
No. 2 Carleton vs. No. 3 Gustavus | 11:30 a.m. |
Championship: Saturday, May 4, 2013
Semifinal winners | 4 p.m. |
*Playoff Champion earns the MIAC's automatic bid to the NCAA
Tournament
**All matches will be hosted outdoors on the Brown courts if
weather permits. Should inclement weather occur, matches will be
moved indoors to the Swanson courts.