NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The fourth-seeded St. Olaf College men's tennis team saw its season come to an end with a 4-1 loss to fifth-seeded Bethel University in the quarterfinals of the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Playoffs on Wednesday at Carlson Courts.
After St. Olaf (10-9) won the regular-season meeting between the two teams by a 4-3 margin last Wednesday, Bethel (19-3) won the doubles point and posted wins at No. 3, No. 5, and No. 6 singles to advance to the semifinals of the MIAC Playoffs. The playoff appearance was the third in a row for the Oles.
The match brought an end to the career of
Bogdan Vizoli, the lone senior on St. Olaf's roster this year. Vizoli played No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles throughout his career, winning a combined 69 matches in singles and doubles over his four seasons.
The Royals claimed the doubles point by recording a 6-3 victory at No. 1 doubles after the teams split the other two matches, also decided by 6-3 margins. Sophomore
Madden Vanderwerf and junior
Marjan Veldic recorded their second 6-3 win over Bethel's No. 2 doubles tandem in eight days for the Oles to finish the year with a 9-4 record as partners.
Bethel lost just six games in straight-sets victories at No. 5 and No. 6 singles to open up a 3-0 lead before the match tightened up at the other four singles spots. After recording a 6-4, 6-1 win in last week's match, Vanderwerf got St. Olaf on the board with a 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) win at No. 4 singles for his 11th singles victory of the season.
Bethel's Watson Sheard secured the team result with a 0-6, 6-4, 6-3 win at No. 3 singles, which pulled the matches at No. 1 and No. 2 singles off court with the match reaching decision. Sophomore
Lou Smith was locked in a 0-6, 6-2, 3-3 battle with Dylan Magistad at No. 2 singles, while Vizoli held a 7-5, 3-3 lead over Carter Sheard at No. 1 singles as those two matches went unfinished.
