By Donny Nadeau
Saint Mary's Sports Information Director
 
MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — When the Saint Mary's University of Minnesota women's tennis team took to the court Friday evening for its Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference showdown with St. Catherine, it had been more than two weeks since the Cardinals had last competed.
 
Unfortunately for the Cardinals, the long layoff—not to mention a fast start by the Wildcats—proved to be their undoing, as St. Catherine dealt Saint Mary's a 7-2 setback at the University of Minnesota Baseline Tennis Center.
 
"St. Catherine just came out faster than we did," said Saint Mary's coach Jeff Halberg, whose team had its season-high five-match winning streak snapped with the loss. "We gave them a solid battle in singles, but we just dug ourselves too big a hole in doubles.

"Give St. Catherine credit—they played really well."
 
The Wildcats jumped out to a 3-0 lead with hard-fought 8-6, 8-2, and 8-4 wins in the three doubles matches. The Cardinals got singles wins from Laura Sondday (West St. Paul, Minn.) and Julia Boeve (St. James, Minn.), but it was not enough to slow down the high-powered Wildcats. Sonday picked up her 10th straight win at No. 1 singles with a 6-2, 6-2 victory, while Boeve rallied from a set down to win 4-6, 6-1, 10-4 at No. 4.
 
The Cardinals (2-5 MIAC, 10-8 overall) are back in action on Tuesday, heading to Lifetime Fitness in Lakeville, Minn., for a 6:30 p.m. conference matchup against St. Olaf.