Senior Mikinzee Salo took the first set from her ranked opponent before falling 10-6 in the deciding tiebreaker.
The St. Catherine University tennis team played the toughest stretch of their season in the past two weeks. They played three of the top four teams in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in the past three weeks, including the University of St. Thomas. The Wildcats fell to the top team in the MIAC and No. 10 team in the Region 9-0 on Sunday, but not for lack of effort by senior Mikinzee Salo (Brainerd, Minn. / Brainerd). Salo played phenomenal tennis over the weekend, taking a set from the Tommies No. 1 singles player. For her effort, Salo has been named Wildcat Athlete of the Week.
As St. Kate’s No. 1 singles player, Salo traditionally faces the top singles player for the opponent. On Sunday, that was Bridget Noack, who is currently ranked No. 16 in singles play in the Central Region. Noack’s ranking did not faze Salo, who opened the match with a 6-3 win against the ranked opponent. Noack took the second set by the same score, forcing the third and final tiebreaker. Salo fought Noack for every point in the final set, but lost in heartbreaking fashion to lose the match 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-6).
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