The University of Minnesota Duluth launched the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference portion of its 2014 schedule this past weekend in North Dakota and dropped three matches. The Bulldogs opened with an 8-1 setback to Minnesota State University-Moorhead in Fargo, N.D., with UMD sophomore Delaney Dobbs, in her 2103 debut, winning at No. 5 singles. Later that night against University of Minnesota Crookston, UMD got straight-set singles wins from Dobbs (No. 5) and freshman Kaitlin Wohnoutka (No. 4) along with doubles victories from sophomore Bailey Kolles and freshman Drew DeCorsey (No. 2) and junior Kelsey Cunningham and freshman Briana Rademacher (No. 3), but it wasn't enough in a 5-4 loss. The University of Mary shaded the Bulldogs, 7-2, in Grand Forks, N.D., as Rademacher claimed the only Bulldog singles event (No. 6) and teammed with Cunningham to prevail at No. 3 doubles.

Through four matches, Delaney tops the Bulldogs in singles with a 2-1 record (all at No. 5) while Cunningham and Rademacher are a team-leading 2-2 in doubles.

UMD will return to the court this Sunday (Feb. 16) when it takes on NSIC colleagues Upper Iowa University and Bemidji State University in Bemidji, Minn.