The Gustavus women’s tennis team was rolling last weekend as they earned a pair of convincing wins in duals against MSU-Mankato and Upper Iowa.

“It was great to get everyone some quality match play,” Head Coach Jon Carlson said. “We learned a lot about what we need to work on these next two weeks as we prepare for our spring break trip to San Antonio, Tex. I’m proud of our progress so far and am excited for the rest of the season.”

Of the 18 matches they played Saturday, the Gusties lost just one. They swept MSU-Mankato 9-0 to start the day and then went on to beat Upper Iowa 8-1.  Last weekend’s success came after a tough loss to Drake University on Mar. 10, 2012.

“We got two great wins and accomplished that as a team,” Junior Mallory Shellum said of the victories. “Every girl that played gave everything they had in their matches, and if you weren’t playing, you were cheering. This entire team inspires me everyday.”

Senior Megan Gaard was honored as the MIAC’s Women’s Tennis Athlete-of-the-Week for her hand in last weekend’s success. The veteran teamed up with First-year Laurel Krebsbach in a pair of strong wins at #1 doubles and won both of her matches at #2 singles in straight sets.

“Laurel’s game has really improved over the last month, particularly her play in doubles,” Carlson said. “We’ll be looking for her to provide a consistent presence at the top of our lineup as we head into spring break and the remainder of our season.”

Last weekend’s success is especially important considering that the team is now in the middle of a two week break, after which they will travel to San Antonio, Tex., for a spring break training trip.

The trip will feature three duals in as many days and will help prime the team for the upcoming outdoor season.

“We always look forward to the outdoor season. It’s always a good change to get some fresh air and get out of the bubble,” Shellum said.

With the outdoor season looming, the Gusties will be preparing to face conference rivals on a consistent basis.

“We look forward to the match against Carlton every year,” Shellum said of the team’s MIAC rivals. “It is always the most challenging match in the MIAC, so all the girls get pumped up because of this ‘rivalry’ we’ve got going on with them.”

The Women will commence conference play Apr. 14 at Hamline University. The Gusties improved to 8-2 overall after last weekend’s wins, and enter the break ranked No. 17 according to the most recent ITA Women’s Division III National Team Poll.