Tennis | 4/22/2018 4:54:00 PM

MSUM-Winona Box
MSUM-Augie box
MINNETONKA, Minn. – The Minnesota State University Moorhead women's tennis team used a thrilling 5-3 victory over Winona State to reach the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Championship match for the first time on Sunday. The best season in Dragon history came to an end in the finals as eight-time champion Augustana downed MSUM, 5-0.

The Dragons finished 16-4.

"I told our players before the Winona match, 'do you want to meet expectations or exceed them?'" MSUM head coach Oliver Summers said. "They chose the latter. It was an awesome year."

In the semifinal match, MSUM won two of three doubles matches, including a tiebreaker at No. 2 which proved huge. Freshman Julia Geske and sophomore Olivia Keelin beat Kaisey Skibba and Justine Daane, 8-3 at No. 1 doubles for MSUM while freshman Swenne Albert and sophomore Alexis Konecne beat Kendra Kappes and Rachel Gantz, 9-8 (7-5 tiebreaker) at No. 2 doubles.

In addition to winning at No. 3 doubles, Winona State won at No. 3 and No.4 singles to climb within 4-3. That set up Keelin's heroics as she battled back from a set down to beat Gantz, 2-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the second singles slot.

Geske dominated Skibba at No. 1 singles, 6-2, 6-2 while Konecne beat Tayla Card, 6-0, 6-0 at No.6 singles to help the Dragons earn the win.

In the match against Augustana, the Dragons battled tough at No. 2 doubles before falling 8-6. Augie's Taylor Jackson/Kaitlyn Schultz beat Albert and Konecne by that score. The Vikings prevailed 8-0 at No. 1 doubles and 8-1 at No.3 doubles.

Four of the singles matches went unfinished. Augustana won at No. 3 as Jackson beat Albert, 6-1, 6-0. At No. 4 singles Grace Goble topped sophomore Alyssa Wolf, 6-0, 6-0. The Vikings led the four remaining matches but had reached the five points needed to win.

Sunday was the final match as a Dragon for senior Ricquel Ramsbottom. The rest of the roster is slated to return for 2018-19.