MOORHEAD, MINN. - The Bemidji State University tennis team went 1-1 Tuesday at the Olson Forum in Moorhead, Minn. defeating the Northern State University Wolves, 8-1 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play and wrapped up the day falling 7-2 to the Concordia College Cobbers.

The Beavers started out their day by picking up their first conference win of the season by playing strong tennis through out the match. The doubles team of Kali Welu (Jr., Pequot Lakes, Minn.) and Sheila Hoberg (So, Bismarck, N.D.) paced the Beavers with a, 8-4, win over the Northern State’s Kelsey Lonning and Jessica DesLauries at the No. 1 position. Overall the Beavers were 3-0 in the doubles portion of the match.

Singles competition didn’t get any easier for the Wolves as the Beavers rolled past the competition taking five of the six points. Amy Erickson (Jr., Roseau, Minn.) made quick work of the Wolves’ Nashay Bercier at No. 6 singles by the score of, 6-1, 6-0. Farrah Steinke (Fr., Crosby, Minn.) contiuned her impessive freshman campaign as she breezed by Abbey Johnsen, 6-1, 6-0, at No. 3 singles to improve her record to 3-0 at the position and 8-5 in singles competition this season.

The loss dropped the Wolves record to 3-7 (1-3; NSIC) while the Beavers record improved to 5-11 (1-2; NSIC).

The second match of the day found the Beavers in a battle with the Cobbers and while the score ended 7-2 in favor of Concorida College the match was far closer then the score indicated.

Welu led the Beavers by picking up two points as she teamed with Hoberg at No. 1 doubles to comeback from deficts of, 4-1, 5-2, and 6-3 to defeat Ashley Leister and Melanie Gail 9-7. Welu then picked up the point at No. 1 singles as she didn’t break a sweat while taking down Leister 6-1, 6-3.

The team of Steinke and Cheyanne Maki (So., Watford City, N.D.) lost a heart breaker as they gave up the a large lead to Lyndsi Tufte and Amy Freeman and ended with an 8-9 setback on a 5-7 tiebreaker at No. 3 doubles. Tufte would then get the best of Steinke at No. 3 singles as she took Steinke through an exhausting 7-6 first set winning the tiebreaker 7-5. The second set saw Steinke battling back but unable to prevail as Tufte won 7-5 to give Steinke her first loss at No. 3 singles on the season.

Erickson also went through a tiring first set tiebreaker as she fell 6-7 on a 2-7 tiebreaker before dropping the second set 2-6 for the loss at the No. 6 position to the Cobbers’ Kelsey Schendel.

The loss drops the Beavers to 5-12 (1-2; NSIC) while the Cobbers jump to 3-8 on the season.

Bemidji State finishes its week tommorow, April 2, with a conference match against the University of Mary Maruaders in Bismarck, N.D. with the start time scheduled for 11 a.m. The Maruaders enter the match at 0-2 (0-2; NSIC) with losses to Southwest Minnesota State and Winona State University.

Bemidji State University, located in Bemidji, Minn., is an NCAA Division II institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

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