File photo by Gregory Ruff

Sometimes, it takes adversity to gauge what a team is made of.

In its first match of the spring season, the Blugold women’s tennis team traveled north to Duluth, emerging with a 5-4 win against St. Scholastica (Minn.).

The Blugolds had to overcome the loss of No. 1 singles player Sarah Riordan due to the ankle injury she suffered at practice the previous day. She rolled her right ankle while warming up.

All the singles players were bumped up one spot from their normal place in the lineup. Eau Claire had great success in the singles matches, winning four of six. Three of the top four singles players won, setting the tone for the Blugolds.

No. 2 singles player junior Kristie Carlson defeated Casey Ruberto, 6-2, 6-4 and senior Laura Geissler won 7-6, 7-6. Junior Liz Deprey continued the Blugolds’ success with a victory over Katie Motley, winning 6-2, 6-4. Freshman Erin Welch rounded up the singles victories with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Katrina Sacchetti.

Freshman Gina Dahl, who replaced Riordan at the No. 1 spot in the lineup, lost to Jessica Rich, 7-6, 6-2.

The No. 1 and No. 2 doubles teams lost their matches, but the No. 3 team pulled out a win. Geissler and Freshman Courtney Lynne teamed up to defeat Ruberto and Sacchetti 8-3 to give the Blugolds another victory.

“I was just excited to play a match,” Geissler said. “It was really a win that we needed to hold our spot in the region.”

Both Monson and Geissler said the main goal of the team is to qualify for the Midwest Invite in Madison in April. The top 16 teams in the Midwest region qualify, and the Blugolds are currently ranked 13.

Eau Claire’s victory Saturday was its first match since October when the team competed in the WIAC Championships in Madison. The Blugolds’ victory is a continuation of their success in the fall, when they went 20-4 overall and 11-1 in dual meets.

The Blugolds will be off for the next two weeks. They will travel to Orlando, Fla. during spring break and will play Babson College (Mass.) on March 19 – the first of five matches on their road trip.

Monson said the trip should provide the Blugolds with the opportunity to compete against stiff competition and to gauge his team to others from around the country.

“We’re playing some tough teams . it’s great to play some schools from around the country,” Monson said. “Really, we just want to see where we are compared to them. Obviously, we want to win.”