Bulldogs Tennis Season Ends

NSO News Release

The University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs played their last match of the season in an NSIC Quarterfinals affair against the Augustana Vikings, which ended in a 4-0 defeat at the Huether Family Match Pointe Tennis Center in Sioux Falls, SD.

Throughout the regular season, UMD saw improvement after improvement within the team. Every match, every practice, and even the team bonding experiences that they went through pushed this resilient Bulldogs team into a playoff spot. Head Coach Jessica Worden had this to say after their final match, “I am so thankful for a wonderful season full of amazing athletes and great moments. Our two seniors Laura Palmer and Mallory Lithun have made an irreplaceable impact on our team. We are so grateful for their time and dedication over the years.”

In the doubles matches, the Augustana Vikings’ team won two out of the three matches played against the Bulldogs. It was a crucial moment in the match, as the Vikings took an early lead by winning two of the doubles matches, and then leaving the third unfinished. Though in that third match, the Bulldogs’ No. 1 doubles pairing of Shay Callaway and Captain Mallory Lithun were leading the Vikings’ No. 1 doubles. The match ultimately ended in a score of 3-2, but it showed that UMD had a fighting chance throughout the match.

“I’m so proud of this team. We came out today and battled hard,” Lithun said. “Even though the results weren’t in our favor I can see the improvement in every single player. I am so happy to have spent my last year of collegiate tennis with this team, and I will be back next year to watch and cheer them on.”

Moving on to the singles matches, the Vikings continued their strong performance by winning the first three matches. The Bulldogs were unable to turn things around, for the first three matches were already decided, and fell short to the Vikings. The Vikings’ strong performance in both the doubles and singles matches ultimately led to their 4-0 victory over the Bulldogs.

Senior Laura Palmer, who had her last match today, says this about her team and her career, “While it was a tough match against Augustana, the team put in their best effort and it was great to be able to cheer them on one more time this season. It has been great to play for the team these past couple of years and I am looking forward to watching the girls play in the future! I’m so grateful to have been on this team”

With a final record of 9-7 and an NSIC record of 6-5, the Bulldogs had quite a season to remember. This past season showed us a lot about how the Bulldogs will fare in the next few seasons to come.