Results (Picture)
Records
Upper Iowa (1-0 NSIC) || Minnesota Crookston (0-1 NSIC)
Recap
Upper Iowa 8 – Minnesota Crookston 1
With the offseason finally over, Upper Iowa shook off the rust to defeat the Golden Eagles in Sartell, Minnesota, 8-1. UIU took a commanding 3-0 lead after the doubles matches. Iris Verweij and Victoria Kulbokas teamed up for an 8-1 victory, while Saki Kawabata and Morgan Winnie earned an impressive 8-0 victory at #2. Rounding out doubles play, Kelly Jachymowski and Laura Alvarez controlled the match and defeated UMC, 8-1.
Needing a rally, the Golden Eagles looked forward to singles play, but the Peacocks were dominant there too. UIU wrapped up the win thanks to victories in five of the six matchups. Kawabata earned a 6-2 and 6-0 victory at #1, while Verweij was right on her heels with 6-0 and 6-3 victories at #2. Kulbokas, Jachymowski and Alvarez finished off UMC with victories at #3, #5 and #6, respectively, with the latter coming down to a 7-6 victory for Alvarez in the final set.
Sounding Off
Head Coach Joey Barnes After the Match...
"We had a great spring opener tonight," said Barnes. "We put what we had practiced into action. We are in a bit of a disadvantage as we don't hit on normal courts and don't usually have enough space available to get a lot of point-play in. Yet, the girls did what was asked of them to get the job done. Tomorrow will be a great opportunity for us to compete against a quality opponent in St. Cloud State. It will also help show where we are strong and where we need improvement. I am very proud of my team. We are young and we are an awesome team."
Up Next
Upper Iowa will stay the night in Minnesota as they get set to take on St. Cloud State on Sunday. The action begins at 10:30 a.m.
