Dillon Hogan/ Winonan
The end of the regular season saw the Winona State University women’s tennis team drop the final two matches in close fashion.
The Warriors began the weekend with a match against Luther College on Friday, April 17. The season concluded the next day with a home matchup against St. Norbert.
Against Luther College the Warriors dropped the match by a team score of 6-3. Senior Leah Dahl was involved in securing two of the three points for the Warriors. Dahl was the lone Warrior to win her singles match, taking down Jenna Myers by scores of 6-3 and 6-4.
Dahl and her doubles partner Katie Scruggs won their match against Adriana DePaolis and Jackie Cychosz by a score of 8-6.
The other Winona point came from the top doubles team of Brianna Havelka and Justine Daane, who defeated Maggie Helms and Myers 8-3.
The third and final doubles match saw Ellyn Grossen and Lauren Willkom lose to Madisen Crow and Lauren Welch 8-5, giving Luther College its only doubles win. Aside from Dahl’s singles win, no other Warrior was able to secure a victory.
The regular season conclusion was a close affair with St. Norbert. The Warriors lost the match 5-4. This marked the ninth straight loss for the Warriors but the first close match in recent weeks.
During the singles portion the Warriors earned three of their four team points. At the top spot Havelka took down Elizabeth Manlick 6-0 and 6-2 for the first team point.
In the second spot Daane defeated Katherine Ake 6-0 and 6-4 for the second Warrior point.
Making it three in a row for the Warriors was Dahl in the third spot, defeating Nancy Chybowski 6-2, 2-6 and 10-6 for the third and final point the Warriors would earn playing singles.
The remaining three Warrior singles players, Scruggs, Grossen and Willkom, fell to their St. Norbert opponents.
In the doubles section the Warriors earned a win at the No. 1 spot, but were unable to win the other two matchups.
Daane and Havelka earned the Warrior victory by defeating Manlick and Chybowski 8-2.
Playing in the second spot, Scruggs and Dahl were unable to take Erika Chitko and Katherine Ake who earned the win 8-1.
Rounding out the Warrior’s double efforts were Grossen and Willkom who lost to Anna Gosz and Ashley Randazzo 8-1.
Despite the regular season coming to an end, the Warrior’s season is not entirely finished. The NSIC Tournament is set to begin April 25 and the Warrior’s record of 5-6 and spot among the top eight teams in the conference have earned them an invitation.
As the eight seed the Warriors are matched up against the tournament’s number one seed, Augustana. The earlier season matchup between Winona State and Augustana saw the Warriors lose by a score of 8-1. The rematch will occur on Saturday, April 25 at 2 p.m. in Minnetonka, Minn.
