DULUTH -- The Bemidji State women’s tennis team split a pair of matches over the weekend in Duluth, falling 4-3 to the host Bulldogs on Saturday before recovering with a 6-1 triumph over St. Cloud State on Sunday.
The Beavers came within a point of knocking off UMD. Despite BSU surrendering the doubles point, Sophie Groen dominated 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1 singles to help the Bemidji State cause.
Shaelyn Johnson also won at No. 2 singles by virtue of a 6-0, 2-6, 7-5 score, and Hannah Peterson was victorious by a 6-3, 6-7, 6-2 margin at No. 4.
That was all the Beavers mustered, however, and Minnesota Duluth escaped with the win.
BSU recovered with a near-clean sweep on Sunday, though. Against the Huskies, Bemidji State claimed the doubles team point when Groen and Johnson won 6-3 at No. 1, and Peterson and Laney Rutkowski won by the same score at No. 3.
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On the singles side, the Beavers won at the top three spots. Groen earned a 6-2, 6-2 victory at No. 1, Johnson swept 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2 and Claudie Billand pulled off a 5-7, 6-4, 10-1 comeback at No. 3.
Isabela Nelson also claimed a 6-0, 6-4 victory at No. 6 singles, and Rutkowski won at No. 5 by default, as well.
Now 4-5 on the season, all against Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference competition, BSU will close the regular season April 9 against Augustana and Sioux Falls in Grand Forks, N.D.
The top eight teams will qualify for the NSIC Tournament, which is scheduled for April 24-25. Bemidji State currently sits seventh in the league standings.
