VIRGINIA, Minn. – The St. Olaf College men's tennis team dropped its first match of the spring season with a 6-3 defeat to the College of St. Scholastica in Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MICA) play on Saturday at Virginia Indoor Tennis and Pickleball Club.

First year Marjan Veldic had a hand in two of the three points for St. Olaf (1-1, 1-1 MIAC) in the loss, teaming with sophomore Bogdan Vizoli for a victory at No. 1 doubles and claiming a straight-set win at No. 2 singles. St. Scholastica (3-2, 3-1 MIAC) won two of the three doubles matches and four of the six singles matches to claim the win.

Vizoli and Veldic improved their record to 4-1 overall and 2-0 in the conference with an 8-1 victory over Jonas Abeleda and Eamon Gerrard-Stace atop the doubles lineup. The Saints overcame a 3-0 deficit to earn an 8-5 victory at No. 2 doubles and won a tiebreaker at No. 3 doubles to carry a 2-1 lead into singles.

Veldic registered the first singles victory of his collegiate career via a 6-3, 6-2 win over Gerrard-Stace at No. 2 singles. Senior Jerusalem Thao was the only other singles victor for the Oles as Thao improved to 2-0 in MIAC play with a 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 triumph at No. 6 singles.

St. Olaf is back in action against nationally-ranked Gustavus Adolphus College on Saturday, March 2 at 8:30 a.m. at West Hills Tennis and Fitness Center in Owatonna.