DULUTH, Minn. – It will have been almost a month between conference matches for the Bemidji State University Women's Tennis team when they will face Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State this weekend in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play. Both matches will be played in Duluth with the Beavers facing Minnesota Duluth on Friday at 6:30 p.m. and then St. Cloud State on Saturday at 9 a.m.
Bemidji State is 2-7 overall and 1-2 in NSIC play so far this season, last competing on Mar. 4 against Bethel falling by a score of 7-0. Prior to that match, the Beavers closed February strong picking up their first conference victory of the season by a score of 4-3 against Upper Iowa.
Nicoleta Anestiadi has put together a terrific year so far playing at both No. 2 and No. 3 in singles. She is a perfect 3-0 at No. 3 and has recently moved up to play No. 2 over the past four matches after starting the fall out in the second slot.
Laura Burger and Lopez-Oro have added three singles wins this season. Burger has two wins at No. 4 and another at No. 3. Lopez-Oro has played every match at the top flight this season.
Lily Jones, Isabela Nelson, Lexi Leitner and Emilia Sand all have a singles win this season. Jones claimed a win at No. 5, Nelson a win at No. 4, Leitner a win at No. 6 and Sand a win at No. 2.
In doubles, Leitner has the top record of 5-3 competing at No. 3. Three of those wins have been with Jones, while the other two were with Burger. Burger has three doubles wins this year competing at all three doubles positions. Outside of the two wins with Leitner, she has a win with Lopez-Oro. Jones also has three doubles wins at No. 3 all with Leitner. Lopez-Oro has a doubles win from competing at the top flight with Burger. Anestiadi/Lopez-Oro have played six matches at the top flight this spring. Sand has seen time at No. 2 and recently played with Anestiadi at the top flight against Bethel. Nelson has competed at the No. 2 doubles all year teaming with Anestiadi, Sand and most recently Burger.
Minnesota Duluth has won three of the past four meetings, as BSU had won six-straight from 2015-2018 in the series. The teams faced each other back on Feb. 4 with Minnesota Duluth taking the 6-1 victory at home. In that meeting, Leitner/Burger picked up a win at No. 3 doubles and Anestiadi recorded a singles win at No. 3.
The Bulldogs are 5-2 on the season and 2-1 in NSIC play, having played every match at home. They last played on Feb. 26 coming away with the 4-3 conference win over Minnesota State-Moorhead. Carly Chaney is 7-0 in singles play, mostly coming at No. 5 to lead the team in wins. Shay Callaway has five wins at the top flight. In doubles, Callaway and Mallory Lithun each have four wins. Callaway has all her wins at No. 1 and Lithun with three wins at No. 2 and the other at the top flight.
To close the weekend, the Beavers will face St. Cloud State on Saturday. The Huskies won the most recent meeting last year in Grand Forks by a score of 4-3. Prior to that, Bemidji State had won six-straight in the series from 2017-2021.
St. Cloud State is 4-4 overall and 0-3 in NSIC play, having played every match away from home so far this season. The Huskies just got back from playing four matches in Orlando going 3-1. They last played on Mar. 9 against Rensselaer Tech.
St. Cloud State features a roster with two seniors (Arisa Kashima and Olivia Fredrickson), four sophomores (Maria Paz Aoki, Caludia Munoz Perez, Maria Molitor and Johana Brower) and a freshman (Oriana Grott) for this year's team.
Following the trip to Duluth, Bemidji State will travel back to Grand Forks on Mar. 25 to face both Sioux Falls and Augustana in NSIC action.
For more information on the Bemidji State tennis program, follow the Beavers on Twitter (@BSUBeaversTen), like them on Facebook (facebook.com/BSUBeavers) and follow them on Instagram (@BSUBeaversTen)
Located on the shore of Lake Bemidji, Bemidji State University sponsors 15 varsity athletic programs with NCAA Division I men's hockey membership in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association 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).
