GRAND FORKS, N.D. (Choice Health and Fitness) -- The Bemidji State University tennis team posted a pair of wins in its final weekend of the 2014 regular season to pull its record to 8-8 overall and establish its largest wins total in more than 12 years. The Beavers’ final three matches of the regular season were held at Choice Health and Fitness in Grand Forks, N.D.
The Beavers opened the weekend with an 8-1 loss to University of Sioux Falls, but bounced back to post back-to-back victories over University of Minnesota Crookston, 7-2, and Minnesota State University Moorhead, 5-4.
The Cougars dominated play Saturday morning, opening a 3-0 lead after talking the three doubles matches, 8-5, 8-2 and 8-0, respectively. Despite a first-set victory by Shaylin Prout (So., Thunder Bay, Ontario) 6-1, in the No. 1 singles match, Joey Bosch earned a 6-3 win in the second set and took the tam point with a 10-6 tie break win. USF continued to roll posting straight-set victories at No. 2, 4, 5 and 6 singles, but junior captain Caley Westin (Virginia, Minn.) won her match at No. 3 singles, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4), for the Beavers’ lone point.
Saturday evening, the Beavers faced Minnesota Crookston in a nonconference contest. After Prout and Deanie Hatch (Sr., Brea, Calif.) were defeated in the No. 1 doubles match (8-5), BSU bounced back with wins from Westin and Mikela Kowatsch (Cashmere, Wash.) at No. 2 (8-2) and Nicci Hedke (So., Nisswa, Minn.) and Anna Buck (So., Fergus Falls, Minn.) in the No. 3 spot (8-2) to take a 2-1 advantage into singles play.
The Beavers rolled in singles play as Prout won in the No. 1 position (6-1, 6-2), Hatch earned a 6-1, 7-6 win at No. 2 after a 10-8 tie break win, Westin disposed of her No. 3 opponent (7-6, 6-2), Markgraf was victorious at No. 5 singles (6-1, 6-1) and Buck took the No. 6 singles match 6-2, 6-3.
The match marked the second 7-2 win over the Golden Eagles this season. BSU also won by the same score March 29.
The final match of the regular season pitted the Beavers versus MSU Moorhead, a team BSU fell to, 8-1, in 2013.
The Beavers opened the match with wins at all three doubles positions. The 3-0 cushion, buoyed BSU over the Dragons. Bemidji State dropped straight sets matches at the No. 1, 3 and 5 spots and despite taken the first set 6-1, Markgraf saw her match at No. 6 singles slip away, dropping the second set, 6-3, and losing the tie breaker, 10-7. But Hatch posted a win at No. 2 singles (6-2, 6-3) for BSU and Kowatsch won at No. 4 (6-2, 6-1), giving the Beavers just enough to hold on for the 5-4 victory.
Under second-year head coach Mark Fodness, the Beavers finish the regular season 8-8 overall and 4-7 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. The Beavers cling to an outside chance they will make the NSIC postseason field when the league announces its tournament pairings at the conclusion of the competition season.
For more information on the Bemidji State women’s tennis program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeavers), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) or sign up for the TXTUpdates from BSUBeavers.com text-messaging system through the "Multimedia" pull down menu on the main page of BSUBeavers.com.
Nestled in Northern Minnesota’s wooded region and located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men’s and women’s hockey membership in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association, while its 13 NCAA Division II programs hold membership in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).
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