Beavers host MSU Moorhead and U Mary in a pair of neutral-site NSIC matches

The Bemidji State University tennis team will travel to Virginia, Minn. for two Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches this weekend. The Beavers take on Minnesota State University Moorhead at 2 p.m. Saturday and University of Mary at 9 a.m. Sunday.

Bemidji State comes into the weekend after posting a 7-0 victory over University of Minnesota Crookston, Feb. 3 to open the season and improve to 1-0 on the season.

Last season, the Beavers were defeated by the Dragons, 5-2, in Bismarck, N.D. MSU Moorhead took the doubles point sweeping all three doubles positions. BSU got wins from Brooke Mimmack in the No. 3 singles position (4-6, 6-0, 10-5) and a straight-sets win from Laney Rutkowski at No. 5 singles (6-0, 6-2), but MSUM cruised to the 5-2 NSIC victory.

The Dragons were slotted to finish second in the pre-season coaches poll, but have yet to play a match this season. They finished the 2020 campaign 9-0 in the COVID-19-shortened campaign and were tied with Augustana atop the league standings at 8-0.

The 2020 matchup between the Beavers and Marauders was a much closer affair. Although U Mary took an early lead sweeping doubles play, BSU battled back to claim wins in three of the six singles matches to fall just short, 4-3. Hannah Alme opened singles play with a 6-4, 7-5 win in the No. 2 singles match. Rutkowski was again on the victorious side of a match, battling back to claim her team-best singles seventh victory of the season in a tie-breaker. In addition, Maggie Richardson battled out of a 6-4 loss in set one to claim the second set, 6-4, and then earn a match victory in the tie-break to finish BSU’s scoring.

U Mary will also be opening the 2021 season this weekend. The Marauders, completed the 2020 campaign with a 9-4 overall record and were 7-1 in NSIC play to hold down the third spot in the standings.