FARGO, N.D. - The University of Northwestern Women's Tennis team trekked to the frozen tundra of North Dakota to face the Concordia Moorhead Cobbers on Saturday afternoon. After a crushing defeat during the 2023 season, the Eagles were hungry for a win. Unfortunately, the Eagles came up just short in today's contest.
The Eagles jumped to a commanding 3-0 lead after doubles.
Annie Orvis (Rochester, Minn/Schaeffer Academy) and
Abby Johnson (Zimmerman, Minn./Homeschool) started off the afternoon with a dominant 8-2 win at one doubles. Orvis's aggressive net play and Johnson's controlling groundstrokes held their opponents at bay. Next on the court was the duo of
Elise Jarchow (Luverne, Minn./Luverne) and Ana Marquardt. The match went back and forth and a tiebreaker was looming as Jarchow and Marquardt were down 0-40 at 7-6. However, the determined pair battled back, taking the game to deuce. Jarchow served it out wide, setting up Marquardt for the quintessential match-winning smash, ending with a score of 8-6. At third doubles,
Abigail Ross (Chico, Calif./Central) and
Madeline Troolin (Cambridge, Minn./Homeschool) cruised to an 8-3 win. The tide turned after Troolin's massive service game at 3-3, which was able to set Ross up for success at the net.
Feeling good after an impressive doubles performance, the Eagles started singles play with confidence; however, the Cobbers were hoping to write a different story. At first singles, the match started off back and forth until the Cobbers took control to finish out the first set. The second set looked grim as Orvis was down 2-5, yet she was able to gain some momentum bringing the score to 4-5. Unfortunately, her momentum ended as she lost 3-6, 4-6. At second singles, Johnson faced a tight tilt of her own. The match was an even push-and-pull scene as both players had their moments of success. Johnson failed to pull out the first set, losing 4-6, but started off set two with a rush of new confidence. After an excruciating battle, she couldn't pull out the win and lost the second set, 5-7.
Rayna Baumgarn (Holmen, Wis./Holmen) also lost a heartbreaking match at fifth singles. Baumgarn took early control of the match with a first-set win of 6-1. Set two proved to be an intense challenge, ultimately resulting in a 3-6 loss. Baumgarn was not able secure the win as she lost a tough tiebreaker, 5-10. At sixth singles, Ross was able to provide a glimmer of hope with a focused win. With immense confidence, she sailed to an easy 6-2, 6-0 win. After a long break, Jarchow and Marquardt finally took the court. Knowing the match was on the line, both players fought with gusto. Marquardt quickly took the first set, 6-3. However, her opponent entered the second set determined to flip the score. Having split sets, the two set out for a third-set tiebreaker. Marquardt rose to a 5-4 lead but couldn't hang on and fell 6-10 to the Cobber.
Last on the court, Jarchow knew the match all came down to her. Jarchow and her opponent exchanged explosive forehands as the first set progressed. Not being able to pull out the game at 6-5, the first set ended in a lost set tiebreak at 4-7. Spirits high and mind focused, Jarchow sprinted to a 6-1 second set win. With all eyes on the final match at play, they entered the third set tiebreak. Jarchow has a solid start to the breaker with a 2-1 lead. At the switch, she trailed 2-4 and set out to stay close behind her opponent. Her opponent raced to a 9-3 lead, but Jarchow wasn't finished. She was able to save three match points before ultimately falling 6-10 in the tiebreaker score.
The Eagles fell to the Cobbers 4-5 but are looking ahead to next weekend when they face Edgewood College and Buena Vista University in Madison, Wisconsin.
