MANKATO, Minn. – The No. 34-ranked Carleton College women's tennis team absorbed its first loss of the season, falling 4-3 to Minnesota State Mankato, a NCAA Division II program. First-years
Algara Dineva and
Varinn Sood registered a doubles triumph before winning their respective singles matches in straight sets.
With the narrow victory, the Mavericks (4-0) snapped a four-match losing streak to Carleton (7-1).
Minnesota State earned the doubles point with wins at the top two spots in the lineup as Julia Gurholt and McKenna DeMarce topped
Gianna Marks and
Ryann Witter by a 6-3 tally and Amanda Blanco-Epple and Lucie Sliskova defeated
Gabby Cilella and
Kat Smiricinschi 6-4. Dineva and Sood picked up a 6-3 victory over Elizabeth Dabiza and Sutton Julsrud at the third slot.
Dineva then bested Julsrud by a 7-5, 6-2 score at No. 5 singles, with Sood beating Dabiza 7-5, 6-1 at the sixth spot. Carleton's other solo victory was carded by
Peggy Fu, who defeated Blanco-Epple by a 6-4, 6-2 tally at No. 4 singles.
Minnesota State prevailed in close matches at No. 1 singles — where Gurholt held off
Giana Marks by a 7-5, 7-5 ledger — and No. 3 singles, as Witter came up short against Sliskova 7-5, 6-3.
The clinching point came at No. 2 singles, where DeMarce edged
Kiley Pickens in a tough three-set contest 6-2, 4-6, 6-2.
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton faces MIAC foe St. Catherine University on Saturday, March 7. That competition will be played at LifeTime Fitness South in Bloomington, Minn. with a 2:30 p.m. start time.
