ST. PETER, Minn. – The Carleton College women's tennis team dropped an extremely close match, 5-4, at Gustavus Adolphus College on Saturday. The match could have gone either way as four super tiebreakers were required to separate the top two teams in the MIAC standings.
 
The Knights (10-1 overall, 6-1 MIAC) jumped out to a 3-0 lead with a sweep of doubles.
 
At No. 1 doubles, Mary Frances Hose (So./Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) and Amelia Asfaw (Fy./Seattle, Wash./Seattle Prep) remained undefeated as a doubles pairing after registering an 8-4 win over their regionally-ranked opponents.
 
Ingrid Smith (Fy./Edina, Minn./Edina) and Miriam Shteyman (Fy./Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata) paired teamed up for the first time and added an 8-6 triumph at No. 2 doubles, while Taylor Thulson (Sr./Louisville, Colo./Niwot) and Amanda Black (Fy./Libertyville, Ill./Libertyville) picked up the first team point of the day with an 8-2 result at the third slot.
 
Four of the six singles matches required super tiebreakers, and the Gusties (14-6, 6-0 MIAC), ranked No. 35 in the nation, won three of those battles.
 
Hose absorbed her first dual-match singles defeat of the season, falling in straight sets at No. 1 singles to Simona Potockova in a matchup of players ranked within the region's top 10. The Gusties then added a victory at No. 6 singles to pull within 3-2.
 
The hosts took the lead 4-3 after adding super tiebreaker victories at No. 3 and No. 4 singles by scores of 3-6, 6-1, 10-8 and 6-2, 1-6, 10-7, respectively.
 
Asfaw improved to 11-0 this season after battling back from a set down to win her No. 2 singles match against regionally-ranked Anna Stutz by a 4-6, 7-5, 10-2 tally.
 
That meant the team result was to be decided at No. 5 singles. Gustavus' Alli Laux claimed the opening set by a 7-5 margin, but Shteyman battled back and won the second set, 6-2. The day's fourth super tiebreaker went beyond the normal limit, but Laux finally broke the deadlock by winning the last two points to prevail 14-12.
 
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton hosts Hamline University for a 2:00 p.m. match on Saturday, April 23.
 
#8 Gustavus Adolphus 5, #11 Carleton College 4
Singles competition
1. #8 Simona Potockova (GACW) def. #3 Mary Frances Hose (CAR) 7-5, 6-0
2. Amelia Asfaw (CAR) def. #21 Anna Stutz (GACW) 4-6, 7-5, 10-2
3. Yuki Oda (GACW) def. Mariam Nechiporuk (CAR) 3-6, 6-1, 10-8
4. Sydney Douglas (GACW) def. Ingrid Smith (CAR) 6-2, 1-6, 10-7
5. Alli Laux (GACW) def. Miriam Shteyman (CAR) 7-5, 2-6, 14-12
6. Rachel Lindrud (GACW) def. Amanda Black (CAR) 6-3, 6-3
 
Doubles competition
1. #12 Mary Frances Hose/Amelia Asfaw (CAR) def. #10 Simona Potockova/Yuki Oda (GACW) 8-4
2. Ingrid Smith/Miriam Shteyman (CAR) def. Anna Stutz/Sydney Douglas (GACW) 8-6
3. Taylor Thulson/Amanda Black (CAR) def. Lili Elofson/Brooke Haddorff (GACW) 8-2