SAINT PETER, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead tennis fell 6-1 to Southwest Minnesota State to close their weekend in Saint Peter, Minn. The Dragons and Mustangs were emblazoned in grueling matches throughout the dual, but MSUM found themselves on the wrong of those close contests. 

MSUM falls to 5-9 on the season with the loss to the Mustangs.

The Mustangs took the doubles point as they narrowly escaped the Dragons in number three doubles. Marissa Burian and Claire Nemmers fell 6-4 in a tight bout which decided the team point. The team of Shaelyn Johnson and Tia Dykema picked up their sixth doubles win of the season by defeating Joana Reis Indio and Maura Wiens 6-1 in number two doubles. 

Though Johnson was the lone Dragon to win her singles match, beating Courtenay Leonard 7-5, 6-3, MSUM would scratch and claw in every other singles match. Pushing the Mustangs to three sets in two of the remaining five matches, MSUM would not have enough to take any remaining singles battles.

Burian found herself in a marathon match with Faith Madikwe with Madikwe taking the first set 7-5 before Burian collected a 7-5 second-set win. Madikwe would go on to take the match with another 7-5 win in the third set. Madison Bell did the same in number six singles against Wiens, dropping the first set 6-3 before rallying for a 6-2 second-set victory. Wiens would escape the match thanks to a 6-4 win in the third set. 

Dykema, Tiannah Gu and Claire Nemmers all had sets that ended in a 7-5 score, but all three would fall in those arduous sets. All three competitors fell in straight sets.

Dragons 1, Mustangs 6
 
Doubles
No. 1 – Courtenay Leonard/Gabriela Almeida def. Madison Bell/Tiannah Gu, 6-1
No. 2 – Shaelyn Johnson/Tia Dykema def. Joana Reis Indio/Maura Wiens, 6-1
No. 3 –  Roz Oye/Faith Madikwe def. Marissa Burian/Claire Nemmers, 6-4
 
Singles
No. 1 –  Shaelyn Johnson, def. Courtenay Leonard, 7-5, 6-3
No. 2 – Joana Reis Indio def. Tiannah Gu 6-1, 7-5
No. 3 –  Gabriela Almeida def. Tia Dykema, 7-5. 6-3
No. 4 –  Faith Madikwe def. Marissa Burian, 7-5 (Madikwe), 7-5 (Burian). 7-5 (Madikwe)
No. 5 –  Camila Paccieri def. Claire Nemmers, 7-5, 6-1
No. 6 –  Maura Wiens def. Madison Bell, 6-3 (Wiens), 6-2 (Bell), 6-4 (Wiens)

Up Next

MSUM travels to Grand Forks, N.D. to kick off April with Saturday and Sunday matches with Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston. The weekend will begin with  the Golden Eagles with a noon start time scheduled for Saturday.