Video – Beaver Fever Friday – Hope Johnson – Tennis

The Bemidji State University tennis team used convincing wins over the University of Minnesota Crookston and the University of Sioux Falls to improve to 7-3 on the season and 4-3 in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play in a trio of neutral-site matches, Feb. 24-25.

BSU dominated from start to finish top open the weekend with a 9-0 sweep of Minnesota Crookston. After colleting three 8-0 victories in doubles to start the match with a 3-0 lead, the Beavers earned six straight-set singles victories, dropping only three games during the entire match.

BSU faced defending NSIC champion Augustana College to finish play Saturday. The Vikings opened the match with and 8-2 victory in the No. 1 doubles match and a pair of 8-4 wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. Despite also being swept in singles play, the Beavers nearly forced tiebreakers in No. 1, No. 3 and No. 6 matches when Zoe Lindgren, Breann Walsh and Brooke Mimmack each dropped a set 7-5.

BSU got back on track Sunday, earning an 8-1 victory over the Cougars.

Again BSU got out to a 3-0 lead after Lindgren/ Morgan Opp earned an 8-5 win in the top doubles spot, Ariadna Lopez/Hannah Alme posted a 9-7 win at No. 2 doubles and Walsh/Okeson completed the doubles sweep with an 8-2 victory in the No. 3 match. Although Lopez dropped her match to USF in the No. 3 singles spot (6-1, 4-6, 11-9), BSU won the other five singles positions. Lindgren needed a tiebreaker to earn a No. 2 singles win (6-4, 4-6, 10-6) and Alme needed a tiebreaker to post a win at No. 4 singles (3-6, 6-2, 10-3) to push through to the 8-1 win.

BSU returns to Bemidji, Minn. and the Gillett Wellness Center March 4. The Beavers welcome the University of Minnesota-Morris for a non-conference match up in an effort to improve to move to 4-0 in play outside of the NISC. The match is set for a 1 p.m. start.