DECORAH, Iowa – With four rookies and a sophomore in the six-person starting lineup, the Carleton College women's tennis team began the 2021-22 campaign with a 6-3 victory at Luther College.
 
The women's tennis team opted out of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19, so this was the Knights' first match since defeating Luther on March 8, 2020, a span of 560 days between intercollegiate competition.
 
The new-look Knights got off to a great start by sweeping doubles. Mary Frances Hose (So./Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) and Amelia Asfaw (Fy./Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep) prevailed 8-3 atop the lineup, while Amanda Black (Fy./Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) and Mariam Nechiporuk (Fy./Portland, Ore./Lake Oswego) registered an 8-6 triumph at the second slot.
 
Taylor Thulson (Sr./Louisville, Colo./Niwot), the lone Knight in the starting lineup to have played a previous intercollegiate match, paired with Ingrid Smith (Fy./Edina, Minn./Edina) for an 8-5 win at third doubles.
 
During singles, Hose and Asfaw posted straight-set victories at first and second singles. Hose prevailed by a 6-2, 6-0 tally, while Asfaw notched the win by a 6-2, 6-1 margin. Nechiporuk added a straight-sets decision at fourth singles, taking the match by a 6-1, 6-2 count.
Both Black and Thulson took their singles matches the distance
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton's next competition will be the ITA Regional to be hosted by UW-Whitewater on Sept. 24-27.
 
Box score
Singles competition
1. Mary Frances Hose (CAR) def. Shelby Cook (LUTW) 6-2, 6-0
2. Amelia Asfaw (CAR) def. Natalia Smith (LUTW) 6-2, 6-1
3. Sofia Sackett (LUTW) def. Ingrid Smith (CAR) 6-3, 6-1
4. Mariam Nechiporuk (CAR) def. Ana Olimpio (LUTW) 6-1, 6-2
5. Bruna Costa (LUTW) def. Amanda Black (CAR) 0-6, 6-3, 11-9
6. M. Ramirez-Mainou (LUTW) def. Taylor Thulson (CAR) 1-6, 6-0, 10-4
 
Doubles competition
1. Mary Frances Hose/Amelia Asfaw (CAR) def. Shelby Cook/Sofia Sackett (LUTW) 8-3
2. Amanda Black/Mariam Nechiporuk (CAR) def. Lexi Hastings/Natalia Smith (LUTW) 8-6
3. Taylor Thulson/Ingrid Smith (CAR) def. Ana Olimpio/Emily Rubbelke (LUTW) 8-5