The Viking women’s tennis team challenged St. Norbert College at home last Friday. The Vikings’ 6-3 win clinched the top seed in this weekend’s conference tournament for coach Kevin Girard’s team.
Junior captain Beth Larson and sophomore Jennifer Roesch crushed Norbert’s top two singles players 6-3, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-2, respectively, while freshmen Gayatri Malhotra and Carla Schmidt also picked up victories in the singles competition.
During the doubles competition, the Larsen/Roesch doubles team beat the No. 1 doubles team from St. Norbert 8-5. Meanwhile, Malhotra and junior Kat Valde shut out the Green Knights’ No. 3 doubles team 8-0.
After a perfect 4-0 week, Roesch was named Midwest Conference Player of the Week. Her No. 2 singles victories and No. 1 doubles victories against both Ripon and St. Norbert improved her season record to 8-6 in singles and 12-3 in doubles.
The Vikings’ victory against St. Norbert won them the Midwest Conference North Division title and sealed their spot as the No. 1 seed in the Midwest Conference Championships, which will be held Friday through Sunday in Rockford, Ill. and Madison.
In the team championship – held on Friday in Rockford before the action moves to Madison for the singles and doubles championships – Lawrence will take on South Division runner-up Lake Forest (11-3, 3-1 MWC) in the first round.
Women’s tennis claims title
