BEMIDJI, Minn. - The Bemidji State tennis team battled in its first ever match against the University of Mary Maruaders but didn’t quite have enough as the Maruaders came away with a 5-4 victory over the Beavers Sunday at the Gillett Recreation and Fitness Center.

Bemidji State started out with a 2-0 lead before the match got started as the Maruaders were unable to field players at the No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles. Those points were gained back in doubles play however as the University of Mary’s No. 1 doubles team of Chelsey Stark and Julie Zaruba defeated the team of Kali Welu (Detroit Lakes, Minn.) and Shelia Hoberg (Bismarck, N.D.) by a score of 5-8. The No. 2 doubles match saw Jessica Seifert and Michelle Bauer of the Marauders defeat Amy Erickson (Roseau, Minn.) and Julie Kaspner (Pierz, Minn.) by a score of 4-8.

Bemidji State got a huge point at the No. 5 singles spot as freshman Cheyanne Maki (Watford City, N.D.) won her first collegiate match she competed in with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over the Maruaders Jane McCullough. Welu got her first victory of the season at the No. 2 spot with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Zaruba.

With Welu getting the fourth point of the match for the Beavers they needed one more to claim their first victory of the season but the more experienced Marauder squad found a way to get ahead a set at the No. 1, 3, and 4 spots. Bemidji State however played competively in the second set but saw Lexcen get defeated 6-4, 7-6 by Stark and Kaspner losing to Bauer 6-3, 6-4. Hoberg was able to crawl her way back by winning the second set and forced a tiebreaker that saw Hoberg force Seifert to go the extra point to get the victory, winning the match 6-4, 4-6, 8-6.

The loss moves the Beavers to 0-4 (0-2; NSIC) on the season and was the first match played between the Beavers and Marauders. The Beavers are set to hit the road as they have their first weekend of matches away from the Gillett Recreation and Fitness Center as they will take on St Scholastica the 24th of March, and the University of South Dakota and the University of Minnesota Duluth on the 25th with all games scheduled in Duluth, Minn.

--bsu--