Spencer Ellingson / Winonan

The Winona State University women’s tennis team lost their first match of the season to Carleton College 8-1 Sunday afternoon at the Winona Tennis Center.

Although the Warriors were disappointed with the loss, sophomore Justine Daane said it was a good day full of a lot of learning.

Daane said that the team is still getting to know each other and it was exciting to get on the court and get the nerves out of the young players.

Daane and sophomore Rachel Gantz came away with the Warrior’s only match win in a 9-8 victory over Mikayla Becich and Grace Davis in the No. 1 doubles competition.

Winona State head coach Heather Pierce said she was excited for this partner matchup.

Unfortunately for the Warriors the first match was the peak of the day, as they were unable to gain a win after that.

In the No. 2 doubles slot, first-years Hattie Scott and Keara Thiele managed to claim one set in a loss, 8-1.

First-year Melissa Boehmke and sophomore Lauren Willkom were unable to win a set in an 8-0 loss to wrap up the doubles grouping.

Pierce said the team is still getting to know each other and that the partner matchups will be tough until the players start to understand how their partners play.

In the singles matchups, Daane lost 6-3 and 6-1 to start off in the No. 1 spot.

Gantz faced Becich for the second time of the afternoon but was unable to pull off the win this time, losing 6-1 and 6-4.

Scott, Willkom and Thiele all came up empty handed, losing 6-0 in each of their matches.

First-year Katie Henning, the only Warrior to not compete in doubles, finished the event with a loss to senior Julia Krumholz, 6-2 and 6-1.

Boehmke was the lone Warrior to not participate in the singles event.

Daane said nobody was disappointing this weekend and all the team can do is practice hard and get to know each other more.

After a break next weekend the Warriors will head to Grand Forks in a doubleheader against Bemidji State University and the University of Minnesota Crookston.