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2005 Men's Record: 1-6 MIAC / 7-10 Overall
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| 2004 Women's Record: 2-5 MIAC / 7-5 Overall |
| Last Week's Results: SMU women 7, UW-Stevens Pt. / Details SMU men 9, Northwestern 0 / Details SMU men 5, Macalester 4 / Details SMU women 5, Macalester 4 / Details |
| Upcoming Matches: Mon., April 18: SMU women at UW-Stout, 4:30 p.m. Wed., April 20: River Falls at SMU women, 4:30 p.m. Sat., April 23: SMU men at Bethel, 10 a.m. Sat., April 23: SMU women at Bethel, 10 a.m. Sun., April 24: Hamline at SMU women, Noon Sun., April 24: Hamline at SMU men, Noon Sun., April 24: Gustavus at SMU women, 5 p.m. |
WINONA, Minn. — Saint Mary's University men's tennis coach Jeff Halberg will be the first to admit that, when his Cardinals have been involved in a close match, luck has not been on his team's side.
In fact, were it not for bad luck, the Cardinals wouldn't have any luck at all.
Four times this season, SMU has been on the short end of a 5-4 decision.
And last Saturday, the Cardinals were involved in No. 5.
Only this time, the ball finally bounced the Cardinals' way.
SMU picked up three singles wins — including a pair of three-setters at No. 1 and No. 5 — and got wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles en route to a 5-4 victory over Macalester at the SMU Tennis Center.
"It was a great day of tennis for us," said Halberg, whose women's team made it a clean sweep of the Scots in almost identical fashion, posting a 5-4 win of their own. "The guys finally pulled out a close one — and it was well deserved. We had some real battles at No. 1 and No. 5 singles, and at No. 1 doubles, but the guys hung tough and got the job done."
Tyler Stevenson (Neenah, Wis.) was involved in two of SMU's nailbiters, posting a 2-6, 6-1, 10-6 win at No. 1 singles, then teaming with Mark Leeder (Greenfield, Wis.) for a 9-7 win at No. 1 doubles. Dan Fahey (Brookfield, Wis.) also rallied from a set down to pull out a 4-6, 7-5, 10-4 win at No. 5 singles, while Leeder breezed to a 6-1, 6-0 win at No. 2. Tony Miller (Rochester, Minn.) and Ryan Kennedy (Rochester, Minn.) picked up SMU's other win at No. 2 doubles, where they won 8-3.
On the women's side, SMU got straight-set singles wins from Ann Leeder (Greenfield, Wis.), Angie Beissel (Hastings, Minn.) and Becky Newby (Brookfield, Wis.), and doubles victories from Beissel-Michele Clarke (Omaha, Neb.) and Leeder-Aubrey Hirsch (Topeka, Kan.).
"This was a big win for the women," said Halberg, whose teams have now both won two straight matches. "It was a seesaw battle the whole way, but everyone hung tough. Michele and Angie really came up with a big win at No. 1 doubles, it was the type of win that sparked everyone else on. It was a great win."