Box Score The weekend's final match for the Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs ended in a 5-2 win against the University of Minnesota Crookston Golden Eagles at the Duluth Indoor Sports Center. The UMD Bulldogs won the doubles point and won four of the six singles matches to beat the Golden Eagles.
Saturday was a big day for UMD, for they now have eight straight wins against Minnesota Crookston which dates all the way back to the 2014-2015 season. It seems that since the Bulldogs' women's tennis birth, they've had the Golden Eagles' number.
The UMD Bulldogs were able to take the doubles point, winning all of the doubles sets today. Every single doubles match today was decided by a split, either winning the match 6-4 or 7-5. Since
Megan Muller's injury this Friday,
Mallory Lithun has stepped into the No. 1 doubles spot and No. 2 singles spot, and she's been on fire. Lithun was asked about her individual performance today, and she says, "I am proud of the way I've stepped on the court this weekend. I always tell myself to battle and to focus on one point at a time. Being both mentally and physically tough is so important in tennis, and I kept reminding myself to keep grinding it out no matter what situation I was in. The support the team brings is amazing and I love how we all lift each other up. I am so grateful for this team."
The Bulldogs' singles performances were yet again incredible, winning four of the six matches that they played. Carley Chaney, UMD's No. 4 singles, now holds the best win streak in UMD Bulldogs tennis history. After her match today against Michelle Swyter of Minnesota Crookston, she has officially beaten the record. The old record stood at eight straight matches, held by Natalie Cahill in the 2019 season.
Another notable performance from today's singles matches today comes from the Bulldogs' No. 6 singles,
Laura Palmer. Palmer has come into the No. 6 singles position after the injury on Friday and has been playing spectacularly, having won both of her matches in just two sets.
"Had a lot of good energy going into our last home match of the season," said Palmer. "Doubles went in strong and dominated which was a great way to start. We handled the situation well with unexpected circumstances and showed up to take the win! It was great getting to soak in the last home match and love being a part of this team."
The Minnesota Duluth women's tennis team will be in Winona, Minnesota for a match against the Winona State Warriors on March 25, 2023.
