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Cardinal Roster
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Men's Schedule
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Men's Statistics
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Women's Schedule
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Women's Statistics
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| 2005-2006 Records: Women: 3-7 MIAC, 10-12 Overall |
| Recent Results: MIAC Tournament Bethel 6, Saint Mary's 0 / Details Saint Mary's 5, Macalester 2 / Details |
close out season with memorable win over Scots
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Who's Hot?
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Ann
Leeder Closed out season with team-best 12 victories |
But the finish was quite nice.
The Cardinals didn't get off to the greatest of starts at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Atheltic Conference Champioinships last Friday afternoon.
First, Mother Nature decided Friday morning would be a good time for a late-April shower, forcing the first day of the conference's season-ending tournament inside.
Second, the Cardinals lost first-set tiebreakers at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, as well as a three-set marathon at No. 3.
Third, SMU came out on the short end of a 6-0 decision to Bethel in a match played to a decision.
As forgettable as the start was, the Cardinals made sure the finish was one to remember, as SMU closed out its season with a 5-2 win over Macalester in the ninth-place match.
Ann Leeder (Greenfield, Wis.), Val Meschke (Pequot Lakes, Minn.) and Becky Newby (Brookfield, Wis.) picked up straight-set wins vs. the Scots, while Leeder-Aubrey Hirsch (Topeka, Kan.) and Meschke-Sara Clements (La Crosse, Wis.) teamed for doubles wins to seal the win.
"We really accomplished a lot this year, especially considering we were a very young team," said SMU coach Jeff Halberg. "After losing Ashley Meschke in mdseason, the players really had to refocus and push each other — and they did that, and more."
In Friday's opening-round match against Bethel, Leeder and Meschke both lost first-set tiebreakers, with Leeder losing 8-6 in the breaker, while Meschke was a 7-3 loser — and neither was able to recover, falling 6-2 and 6-0, respectively, in the second sets of their No. 1 and No. 2 singles matches.
Hirsch, meanwhile, battled back from a 6-4 first-set loss to win the second set 7-5, but had nothing left in the decisive third set, falling 10-2.
SMU also came up empty in its three doubles matches, managing to win just nine games combined in the three matches.
"I'm very pleased with this team's efforts – not only this weekend, but all season," said Halberg. "They all showed a great deal of improvement and I think that will help them so much next season.
"I honestly can't wait for next year — and we just finished this season."