Lawrence University Women’s Tennis team has had a bit of a rough patch in their season during the last two weekends of competition, but that has not prevented the members of the team from getting some game play under their belts in preparation for the last few weeks of the season. They are currently 5-4 overall at this point in the season, and with the season ending soon, the Vikings only have two more games left before the Midwest Conference Championship.
On Sept. 23 and 24, the Vikings travelled to St. Peter, Minnesota to participate in the ITA Midwest Regional and the Gustie Fall Invitational at Gustavus Adolphus College. Two players were brought to participate in each event. Senior Katie Frankel, and junior Lindsay Holsen participated in the ITA Midwest Regional. Frankel played University of St. Thomas’ Jessie O’Brien and came out on top 6-2, 6-2, before being defeated by Gustavus Adolphus’ Ally Baker 6-1, 6-1. Holsen had a bye into the round of 16, which was where she was defeated by Katelyn Asfeld of UW-Stevens Point 6-2, 6-1. Holsen excelled in the consolation bracket, defeating College of St. Scholastica’s Maddy Scanlon 8-6 and Hamline University’s Lilly Denison 8-3. After an 8-1 loss to Elizabeth Manlick of St. Norbert College, Holsen was out of the singles competition. Frankel and Holsen participated in the doubles section of the tournament as well, defeating Sydney Verbauwhede and Marissa Wilson from Edgewood College in the round of 16, 8-2 before being defeated in the quarterfinals by Car Carlson and Briana Hartmann of Gustavus Adolphus, 8-0.
Sophomore Annie Harincar and senior Elena Lambert participated in the Gustie Fall Invitational. Harincar lost the opening match against Kelsey Kruse of Luther College, 8-6, before moving onto the consolation bracket where she defeated Tiffany Waller from the University of Northwestern-St. Paul 8-4 before falling to Maddy Knoll of St. Catherine University, 9-7.
Lambert won her opening match against Gustavus Adolphus’ Laura Moyneur. 8-6 and moved on to defeat Risako Oya of St. Scholastica 7-5, 6-3 in the quarterfinals. Lambert was defeated in the semifinals by UW-La Crosse’s Maura Anderson, 6-0, 6-0. Harincar and Lambert had a bye into the round of 16, but fell in their match against Cornell College’s Megan Pope and Gabby Ferro, 8-4.
On Oct. 2, the Vikings travelled to UW-Oshkosh to play at the Kolf Sports Center Outdoor Courts in a nonconference match. The Vikings lost 8-1 against UW- Oshkosh, allowing the Titans’ record to move to 5-1, but were still able to pick up a win. Frankel and Holsen defeated Bailey Sagen and Hannah Peters at No. 1 doubles, 9-8.
As the season starts to wind down for the Lawrence University Women’s Tennis team, the intensity of the matches increase. With the two competitions they have left, the team is currently standing in fourth, just behind Cornell, St. Norbert, and Grinnell as a team. The Vikings’ next matches will be against Cornell College and Grinnell College at home in conference games, starting at 9 a.m. and noon, respectively.
