A New Fad In Town
EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn (2/9/20)--- The decade of the 2010s gave us UGGs, Vine, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge and Baby Shark. The decade of the 2020s might give rise to the Cobber women's tennis team.
Concordia staged its most competitive conference match in over eight years as they lost to St. Thomas 6-3 in the 2020 MIAC opener.
The three match wins against the Tommies marks the first time that the Cobbers have scored a point against St. Thomas since the 2012 season when they also lost 6-3 to UST. The 2012 season was the year that Concordia tied the program record for most wins in a season (13). St. Thomas has made the MIAC postseason for 14 straight seasons since the league went to its current playoff format in 2006.
The loss is the first of the season for the Cobber who fall to 1-1. St Thomas is now 2-0.
The new-look Cobbers have a new No.1 singles played and she served notice that Concordia will be a tough match-up for the rest of the season.
Freshman Raquel Egge fought off seven match points in the super-set tie-breaker and outlasted senior Taylor McLeod in an epic 3-6, 6-3, 14-12 comeback win. McLeod advanced to the fourth round of singles play at last fall's prestigious ITA regional and is a 2-time All-MIAC award winner in singles play and 3-time All-MIAC honoree in doubles.
Egge dropped the first set 6-3 in her battle at No.1 singles but then found her stride and returned the 6-3 favor in the second set. That set up the "instant classic" super-set where Egge refused to be closed out and wore down McLeod before winning two straight points to take the bout at 14-12.
Egge's victory was the only single win for the Cobbers after Concordia jumped to a 2-1 lead in doubles play.
Egge and Jenna Forknell lost 8-4 to the 3-time All-MIAC doubles team of McLeod and her sister Paige.
The Cobber No.2 doubles team of Izzi Nankivel and Carolyn Voss remain unbeaten on the year as they posted an 8-6 win.
Abby Westrum and Emily Savageau teamed together for the first time in the season and also posted an 8-6 win at No.3 doubles. Westrum is 2-0 in doubles play this year.
Voss also battled into a super-set tie-breaker at No.4 singles. She won the first set 7-5 but then lost 6-3 in the second set and dropped a 10-2 decision in the super-set.
UP NEXT: Concordia will look to carry their momentum over from Sunday and get back on the winning side of the ledger when they play a pair of non-conference matches in the Duluth area. The Cobbers take on St. Scholastica (0-2) on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 2:30 p.m. and then head across the harbor to play at Wis.-Superior (0-2) on Sunday Feb. 16 at 12 p.m.
St. Thomas 6, Concordia-Moorhead 3
Feb 09, 2020 at Eden Prairie, Minn. (Lifetime Fitness)
Singles competition
1. Raquel Egge (CC) def. Taylor McLeod (UST) 3-6, 6-4, 14-12
2. Paige McLeod (UST) def. Jenna Forknell (CC) 6-1, 6-3
3. Natasha Hood (UST) def. Izzi Nankivel (CC) 6-0, 6-2
4. Sophia Dahlke (UST) def. Carolyn Voss (CC) 5-7, 6-3, 10-2
5. Helen Watkins (UST) def. Taylor Partington (CC) 6-0, 6-2
6. Katie O'Connor (UST) def. Brianna Bell (CC) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Taylor McLeod/Paige McLeod (UST) def. Raquel Egge/Jenna Forknell (CC) 8-4
2. Izzi Nankivel/Carolyn Voss (CC) def. Natasha Hood/Helen Watkins (UST) 8-6
3. Abby Westrum/Emily Savageau (CC) def. Sophia Dahlke/Katie O'Connor (UST) 8-6