ST. PETER, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's tennis team opened its 2018-19 season this past Saturday and Sunday competing at the Gustie Invite hosted by Gustavus Adolphus College.
 
The invite consisted of individual and doubles matches but no team matches.  
 
SMSU's Cora Delich finished the weekend with a 2-1 record in singles play. She opened with a 6-3, 6-3 loss to Anna Stutz from Gustavus, before earning a 6-3, 7-5 win over Alisha Wiedmeir of St. Kat's. She closed weekend with a 7-5, 1-6, 10-8 victory over UMary's Kelsey Lajom.
 
Olivia Watzke closed play with a 1-2 record, earning a 6-2, 6-3 win over Haley Trebil of Gustavus, but losing 4-6, 6-1, 10-5 to Ally Thorsen from Gustavus. She also lost 6-2, 6-2 to Alexis Konecne of MSU Moorhead.
 
Gabby Potthoff finished 0-2 in singles play, losing 6-1, 7-5 to Hannah Gronseth from Gustavus and then dropping a tight 7-6, 3-6, 10-8 match to Sarah Link from Gustavus.
 
Hanna Himmelman picked up one win in three matches, beating Julie Donnelly from UMary, 6-3, 6-1, but lost in straight sets to both Megan Karrow and Kjorte Harra from Gustavus.
 
Paige Janka lost all three matches on the weekend, including a hard-fought 7-6, 2-6, 10-8 loss to Danielle Wolf from UMary. She dropped a pair of matches in straight sets to Kelsie Sanders from Sioux Falls and to Maddy Knoll from St. Kat's
 
In doubles play, Delich and Potthoff picked up a pair of victories, including 6-4 over UMary and 6-5 over Sioux Falls, while losing to Gustavus 8-2. Janka and Watzke went 0-2 with a 6-0 loss to Sioux Falls and an 8-2 setback to Gustavus.
 
Southwest Minnesota State opens dual match play this Sunday with a pair of matches in River Falls, Wis. SMSU will face UW-River Falls at 12 p.m., before taking on UW-Stout at 3 p.m. SMSU's home season will begin on Sept. 25 versus Northwestern College (Iowa) at Marshall High School.