FIRST SERVE: The University of Minnesota Duluth continues their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference schedule on Saturday, March 22 with a pair of matches against Winona State University and Minnesota State University, Mankato at the Sta-Fit in Sartell, Minn. The Bulldogs face the Warriors at 12:00 p.m. then take on the Mavericks at 4:00 p.m.

SCOUTING REPORT ON WINONA STATE: The Warriors are 2-8 overall and 0-2 in the NSIC this season. They lost three straight including dropping a 5-2 decision to Fort Hays State on Wednesday. Winona State was blanked 7-0 by Bryant and St. Thomas Aquinas after it shut out Seton Hall. Clara Thoemke (No. 4) has a team-high five singles victories and is the lone Warrior to have a winning record. Nikita Agrawal (No. 5) is second on the club with three wins. Ally Burger (5-4),  Alexandra Madjun (4-3), Skylar Gary (5-3) hold winning records in doubles action.

SCOUTING REPORT ON MINNESOTA STATE: The Mavericks are 5-1 overall and 2-0 in the NSIC this spring. They have won two straight with wins over Eastern Illinois University (5-2) and Quincy University (7-0). It will be MSU's first match in 11 days after shutting out the Hawks. Freia Lawrence (No. 1), McKenna DeMarce (No. 3) and Hana Minisy (No. 4) are all a team-best 5-1 in singles action. Lawrence and Avery Stilwell are 4-2 in No. 1 doubles action. 

PREVIOUSLY: UMD competed in five matches in Orlando, Fla., in their spring break trip last week. It was a eight-year wait the Bulldogs, who made their last appearance to The Sunshine State in 2017. UMD went 2-3 throughout the week with victories over Oglethorpe University and Ohio Wesleyan University. UMD notched all six singles and three doubles  victories against the Stormy Petrels in the morning session for a 7-0 shutout. The Bulldogs checkmated the Battling Bishops by a 5-2 score in the evening session with four of the six singles wins and all three triumphs in doubles. 

THAT'S A (NON-CONFERENCE) WRAP: UMD finished the non-conference schedule going 4-3 this spring.

SEEK AND DESTROY: The Bulldogs are in search of their conference win of the season after dropping the first two matches to the University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State University. Speaking of firsts, UMD is in search of its first wins against Minnesota State and Winona State in a few years. The last time the Bulldogs defeated the Mavericks was back on Feb. 13, 2021 when it took down the Mavs 6-1 losing only the No.4  singles match in a winner-take-match tiebreaker. The last time UMD took a match from Winona State was on Feb. 25, 2017 when it squeaked by with a 5-4 win over the Warriors, their second straight over Winona State, in Sartell, Minn. 

IN THE LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN: Freshman Olivia Gorton has both singles wins in conference play this season. Gorton defeated Minnesota Crookson's No. 5 Kavya Singh 6-3, 6-3 and Bemidji State's No. 4 Ana Lucia Ibanez 6-3, 6-7, 7-5. Sophomore Courtney Eppen is 1-0 in conference play as well with a come from behind 2-6, 7-5, 10-5 win over Bemidji State's Julia Lindseth. The pairing of freshman Isabelle Simon and junior Lilly Nelson have the Bulldogs' lone doubles win as they won 6-4 against Bemidji State.

STILL UNBEATEN: Three Bulldogs still have unblemished records this season in either singles or doubles action. Freshman Olivia Gorton is 3-0 in singles. Junior Carly Chaney and senior Olivia Honsey are both 2-0 in doubles.

BY THE NUMBERS: UMD is 22-32 in singles matches and 12-15 in doubles matches this season. 
 

UMD in Singles and Doubles Action
Number	Singles	Doubles
1	2-7	2-7
2	3-6	5-4
3	3-6	5-4
4	4-5	--
5	5-4	--
6	5-4	--
Total	22-32	12-15

SNEAK PREVIEW: The Bulldogs continues their conference slate with the University of Mary and the Minnesota State University, Moorhead next week on March 28-29 at the friendly home confines of the Duluth Indoor Sports Center.