SARTELL, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State tennis team opened the 2009 season Thursday night Sartell, Minn., dropping a non-conference match to Division III St. Benedict 6-3.

CSB improves to 3-0 on the season, while SMSU drops to 0-1.

Ananda Ferrari and Danielle Hildebrandt started the day with a win for the Mustangs, taking their No. 1 doubles match 9-7.

CSB won the No. 2 doubles match, but SMSU's Toni Pribyl and Katie Carlson responded and won the No. 3 doubles match 8-6.

Leading 2-1 heading into singles, Ferrari picked up another win for SMSU, defeating CSB's Katie Rudinski 6-0, 6-2 in the No. 1 singles match to put the Mustangs up 3-1. 

The Blazers, however, took the final five singles matches of the day to finish a come-from-behind victory and take the contest 6-3.

SMSU is back in action Feb. 14 when the Mustangs travel to St. Thomas for another non-conference contest.

CSB 6, SMSU 3
Doubles
1.  Ananda Ferrari/Danielle Hildebrandt def. Aly Brandell/Rachel Tiegs (CSB), 9-7
2. Sara Rossman/Kylie Huether (CSB) def. Cailey Grupe/Angie Wiegmann (SMSU), 8-4
3. Toni Pribyl/Katie Carlson (SMSU) def. Lauren Jones/Katie Rudnitski (CSB), 8-6

Singles
1. Ferrari  (SMSU) def. Rudnitski (CSB); 6-0, 6-2
2. Huether (CSB) def. Hildebrandt (SMSU); 6-1, 6-2
3. Tiegs (CSB) def. Grupe(SMSU); 6-0, 6-3
4. Jones (CSB) def. Wiegmann (SMSU); 6-1, 6-0
5. Elissa Husby (CSB) def. Pribyl (SMSU); 6-0, 6-4
6. Megan Siepel (CSB) def. Carlson (SMSU); 6-1, 6-0