|
Cardinal Roster
|
|
|
Men's Schedule
|
Men's Statistics
|
|
Women's Schedule
|
Women's Statistics
|
 |
 |
| 2005-2006 Records: Men: 1-5 MIAC, 6-6 Overall Women: 2-4 MIAC, 3-6 Overall |
| Recent Results: SMU women 8, Martin Luther 1 / Details SMU men 9, Martin Luther 0 / Details Saint Benedict 7, SMU women 2 / Details |
| Upcoming Events: Sat., April 1: Bethany Lutheran at SMU men, women, 11 a.m. Sun., April 2: Stevens Point at SMU women, noon Sun., April 2: UST at SMU men, women, 3 p.m. |
SMU men put end to 3-match slide with 9-0 victory
|
Who's Hot?
|
  |
|
Ann
Leeder 2-0 in singles, doubles last week |
And he got just that.
What he didn't get was that one lucky bounce, which could have easily turned their 7-2 Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss into a win.
"The score does not tell the whole story," said Halberg, whose team had extended its winning streak to two with an 8-1 win over Martin Luther last Tuesday. "There were some matches that could have gone either way.
"We just couldn't catch that lucky break."
Ann Leeder (Greenfield, Wis.) and Aubrey Hirsch (Topeka, Kan.) picked up SMU's lone doubles win, as SMU went into the singles portion of the match down 2-1. Had Ashley and Val Meschke (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) been able to convert game points in either of the last two games of their 8-5 loss at No. 2 doubles, it could have been SMU leading 2-1.
That was unlucky break No. 1.
Unlucky breaks 2, 3, and 4 came at No. 2, No. 4 and No. 5 singles. Leeder opened her No. 2 singles match with a 6-1 win, only to lose the next two sets 6-3, 10-4, while Becky Newby (Brookfield, Wis.) lost a second-set tiebreaker in falling 6-0, 7-6, and Hirsch rallied from one set down to tie her No. 5 singles match and for force a third and decisive set, only to come up just short, 6-2, 4-6, 10-8.
"St. Ben's is a tough, tough team," said Halberg of the Blazers, who improved to 11-1 overall with the win. "They are very talented and very deep. I knew it was going to take a near-perfect performance on our part to beat them, and we almost pulled it off.
"I'm very pleased with the way we played."
THE CARDINAL MEN ENTERED LAST THURSDAY'S nonconference match against Martin Luther with a bit of a chip on their shoulder.
A three-match losing streak will do that to a team.
Fortunately for SMU — and unfortunately for the Knights — the Cardinals took out their frustrations on the visitors, as they won every match in straight sets en route to a 9-0 victory at the SMU Tennis Center.
"The guys played well," understated Halberg. "We were in a bit of a slump the last couple of matches, so it was good to see us bust out the way we did."
SMU lost just five games in winning the three doubles matches to open a 3-0 advantage, then cruised to the six singles wins without losing more than four games in the 12 sets — including a 6-0, 6-0 triumph by Thomas Vollman (Oak Park, Ill.) at No. 4 and a 6-1, 6-0 victory by Adam Solseth (Shakopee, Minn.) at No. 3.
"We needed a match like this," said Halberg, whose team returns to action April 1, playing host to Bethany Lutheran in a nonconference match. "The guys have been playing pretty well without much reward. (Against Martin Luther), they played very well, and the final score showed it."