Photo by Sam Thiel SMSU’s Paige Janka hits a return during their match against Missouri Western State on Friday.

MARSHALL – The Southwest Minnesota State women’s tennis team opened its 2017-18 season today with a 7-2 loss to Missouri Western State at the Marshall Tennis Courts.

SMSU’s No. 3 doubles team of Paige Janka and Gabby Potthoff earned an 8-5 victory to give the Mustangs their first point of the season.

SMSU’s No. 1 doubles team of Gabby Tellijohn and Cora Delich dropped an 8-5 match while SMSU’s No. 2 doubles squad of Hannah Starke and Olivia Watzke lost by an 8-2 score.

Delich picked up SMSU’s other point with a 7-5, 6-4 victory at No. 2 singles over Karolina Strom.

SMSU lost the five other singles matches in straight sets. Tellijohn lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 1, Starke dropped a 6-2, 6-0 match at No. 3, Watzke fell 6-4, 6-0 at No. 4, Janka lost 6-2, 6-2 at No. 5 while Jenna Gannott lost 6-4, 6-3 at No. 6.

MWSU is now 1-1 on the season.

Southwest Minnesota State returns to action on Sunday, Sept. 24, with a pair of matches in Menomonie, Wisconsin. SMSU will face Ripon College at 12 p.m. before facing UW-Stout at 3 p.m.

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