DULUTH, Minn. – The St. Scholastica men's and women's tennis teams will open Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action on Saturday when they face both Bethany Lutheran College and North Central University in split squad action.

Match Times:
Saturday
vs. Bethany Lutheran– Noon @ Swanson Tennis Center (St. Peter, Minn.)
vs. North Central – 5:30 p.m.

Men:

Last Action:
The Saints went 2-4 on spring break trip in Orlando, Fla. last week. #Kevin Hilpert# led the Saints by going 4-1 in singles matches and 4-2 in doubles matches. Hilpert's doubles partner #Brendan Anderson# had three singles win during the week.

St. Scholastica Saints (3-9, 0-0 UMAC)
The Saints are coming off their spring break trip where although the team went 2-4 head coach Wells Patten though the team played some of its best tennis this season … Two of the four losses came against regionally-ranked opponents Carthage College (Wis.) and the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse … In those losses the Saints lost just 5-4 to UW-La Crosse and 6-3 to Carthage … The Saints won their final two matches of the trip, including shutting out Principia College (Ill.) to close out the matches … #Jacob Engelstad# picked up his first three wins of the season at No. 1 singles, winning his last three matches, including a victory against a ranked opponent from UW-La Crosse … With just one non-conference match remaining this season, the Saints have a doubles record of 20-16 in non-UMAC dual matches … The team of Brendan Anderson (Plymouth, Minn./Wayzata HS) and Kevin Hilpert (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater HS) lead the way with an 8-3 record … Hilpert has 11 doubles wins already this season with the program record for doubles victories in a season being 17 … CSS was picked to win its 15 straight UMAC championship by the league's coaches in a preseason poll that released last week.

Bethany Lutheran Vikings (0-1, 0-0 UMAC)
The Vikings have played just one match this season and that took place well over a month ago in a 9-0 defeat to Minnesota State-Mankato … The Vikings are picked to finish fifth in the league, according to the preseason coaches poll … The Vikings' top player from the 2010 season, David Blumer, is studying abroad in New Zealand this semester and won't be able to join the squad … Felipe Ortega, Bethany Lutheran's lone senior in 2011, will be anchoring the team, having won four of his matches last year … Head coach Adie Harstad hopes that the newly recruited dual sport student-athletes will inject some life in the team … Ortega and returner Randy Zavala both played on the soccer team, along with freshman Eric DeBruzzi.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Bethany Lutheran: 12-0)
The Saints shut out the Vikings in both meetings last season.

North Central Rams (0-0, 0-0 UMAC)
The Rams have yet to step on the court this season and will open with the Saints on Saturday … North Central is picked to finish sixth in the UMAC this season … Two of the team's core players from a year ago graduated … Josiah Tonder played 11 matches in the No. 1 singles position last year and will most likely return to the top of North Central's lineup again in 2011 … Mike Svoboda is also someone who will be in the top half of the Rams' roster after playing in the No. 3 singles spot most of last season … Newcomer Tyler McIver will help North Central right off the bat.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. North Central: 4-0)
The Saints also shut out the Rams in match-ups last season.


Women

Last Action:
The Saints had a successful spring break trip in Orlando, Fla. going 5-1 with their lone loss coming to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Freshman #Hillary Bungarden# continued her fantastic play by winning all six singles matches on the week to run her winning streak to 13. Another freshman, #Amanda Hiatt#, did not lose a single match down South, going 4-0 in singles and 4-0 in doubles. Senior #Danni Sonnenfeld# won all six doubles matches.

St. Scholastica Saints (9-4, 0-0 UMAC)
The Saints are off to their best start since the 2006 season when they started 10-2 … CSS has performed well this season with their four losses being decided by two matches or fewer … The lone loss in Florida came against a regionally-ranked UW-La Crosse squad … The play of freshmen have helped the Saints at the bottom of the lineup as Hillary Bungarden (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing HS) has won 13 straight matches and is 10-0 at No. 5 singles … Another first-year athlete, Amanda Hiatt (St. Paul, Minn./Henry Sibley HS) is a combined 9-1 at No.4 and No. 6 singles … Both have also picked up six doubles wins each this season … From the freshmen to the seniors as #Callee Conda# has a winning record at No. 1 singles this season (6-5) and Danni Sonnenfeld (Harris, Minn./North Branch HS) is 9-4 in singles play … Sonnenfeld also leads the team with 11 doubles victories, while Conda is second with eight wins … The Saints were selected by the coaches to win their 15th consecutive UMAC title in the preseason poll that was released last week.

Bethany Lutheran Vikings (0-4, 0-0 UMAC)
Unlike their male counterparts, the Viking women have played four matches already this season, but have also been off for a month … Bethany Lutheran tied with the University of Minnesota-Morris for fourth place in the UMAC preseason coaches poll … Top returner and senior, Madara Matveja, who made it to the No. 4 singles championships in last year's UMAC Tournament, is ready to lead the team … Sophomore Rebecca Kopacek is also one of the most naturally-talented players on the squad and has been improving her game in the off-season.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. Bethany Lutheran: 12-0)
The Saints blanked the Vikings in the first meeting and then won 8-1 the second time around.

North Central Rams (0-1, 0-0 UMAC)
The Rams opened their 2011 season earlier this month with a 8-1 loss to the University of Minnesota-Crookston … North Central went winless in the league last year and have been picked to finish sixth in the conference this season … The Rams will be led by new head coach Jessica Tonder … The Rams welcome back returners Rachel Smith and Rachel Lojovich, who filled the No. 1 and 3 singles spots for the Rams last year … Smith went 4-6 at No. 1 singles in 2010, while Lojovich played nine matches at No. 3.

Last Meeting: (CSS All-Time Record vs. North Central: 4-0)
The Saints shut out the Rams in both meetings last season.