The Upper Iowa University women's tennis team picked up a 5-2 win against the College of Saint Benedict in Winona, Minn. The Peacocks clinched the doubles point and won at Nos. 1, 2, 3, and 5 singles to improve to a 4-3 (1-1 NSIC) record, while the NCAA DIII Bennies dropped to 4-2 overall.

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RECAP... Upper Iowa started strong with a 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles and a 6-3 win at No. 1 doubles to clinch the doubles point. The duo of Varvara Ogorodnikova and Lina Ziani improved to 4-2 with the win at No. 2, while the pairing of Charalampia Grammatikaki and Jessa Michieli improve to 3-3 at the top doubles spot. Mya Herrmann and Padmasree Murugan fell 6-3 in their No. 3 doubles bout.
 
In singles play, Saint Benedict turned the tide with straight-set wins in the Nos. 4 and 6 matches. Ziani was forced to retire at No. 4 singles after going down 6-1, 5-1, while Elaina Wall dropped a 6-0, 6-2 decision at No. 6 singles. to give the Bennies a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-seven team dual. However, Grammatikaki evened the score with a 6-1, 6-2 win in No. 1 singles before Ogorodnikova reclaimed the UIU advantage with a win in straight sets at No. 3 singles, 6-1, 6-3. 
 
Needing just one win to clinch the win in the dual, the Peacocks benefited from an impressive comeback effort by Michieli in the No. 2 singles match. After falling 6-3 in the first set, Michieli battled back to win 6-3 and 6-3 in sets two and three, respectively, to win the match and secure a win in the dual for the Peacocks. Upper Iowa was not done yet, however, as Murugan won a tightly contested three-set battle in the No. 5 singles match to close the day. Murugan went ahead early with a 6-4 win in set one, but her Bennie opponent responded with a 6-2 win in set two. In the deciding third set, Murugan won a back-and-forth 11-9 battle to secure the win and a 5-2 overall final for the Peacocks.
COACH'S QUOTE... "We played really well today and picked up a great win against a really solid Saint Benedict team! We started strong in doubles by being aggressive and smart with our shots. Saint Benedict definitely pushed us, but we stayed aggressive and composed to pick up two wins. In singles, everybody continued to play smart but aggressive tennis. Chara (Charalampia Grammatikaki) and Varia (Varvara Ogorodnikova) picked up comfortable wins at the top, and Jessa (Michieli) and Padma (Padmasree Murugan) followed by fighting hard to win their respective matches in three sets.
 
Overall, it was a great weekend for us! We improved in doubles and played really well in singles. We will continue to focus on ourselves, the process, and trying to get 1% better each and every day.
 
We are looking forward to our two upcoming conference matches against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston next weekend. Go Peacocks!" - Head Coach, Léo Millet
UP NEXT... The Peacocks are scheduled to travel to Bemidji, Minn., for a pair of NSIC Duals on Feb. 19 and 20. UIU is set to battle Bemidji State University at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19, before competing against the University of Minnesota Crookston at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 20.
RESULTS...

Upper Iowa 5, Saint Benedict 2

Doubles competition
1. Grammatikaki, Charalampia / Michieli, Jessa [UIU] def. Tarrolly, Ashley / Fredericks, Lily [CSB] 6-3
2. Ogorodnikova, Varvara / Ziani, Lina [UIU] def. Kopel, Peyton / Bodensteiner, Jane [CSB] 6-2
3. Nesbit, Greta / Bedford, Maria [CSB] def. Murugan, Padmasree / Herrmann, Mya [UIU] 6-3

Singles competition
1. Grammatikaki, Charalampia [UIU] def. Tarrolly, Ashley [CSB] 6-1, 6-2
2. Michieli, Jessa [UIU] def. Fredericks, Lily [CSB] 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
3. Ogorodnikova, Varvara [UIU] def. Kopel, Peyton [CSB] 6-1, 6-3
4. Nesbit, Greta [CSB] def. Ziani, Lina [UIU] 6-1, 5-1 (retired)
5. Murugan, Padmasree [UIU] def. Bodensteiner, Jane [CSB] 6-4, 2-6, 11-9
6. Lee, Grace [CSB] def. Wall, Elaina [UIU] 6-0, 6-2