Arika Howard is focused on the ball as she gets ready to hit a return shot in her match against Mya Hanson of St. James. Howard would win the match 6-1, 6-3.

It felt like a battle between two heavyweight boxers when the unbeaten St. James Saints came to Blue Earth to take on the undefeated Blue Earth Area Buccaneers to determine the Big South Conference Champion.

It took almost three hours and in the end it was the Saints who came out on top with a 4-3 victory.

The Saints’ No. 1 doubles team of Gabby Trapero and Sailor Mohlenbrock gave the visitors an early lead with a 6-1, 6-1, victory over the Bucs’ McKenna Dutton and Kylie Rosenau.

St. James went up 2-0 when Jaelyn Haler defeated Marissa Benz in the No. 2 singles match. Benz took an early 3-0 lead in the opening set only to see Haler find her rhythm and come back to win the first set 6-4.

Haler secured her win by winning the second set 6-3 over the BEA junior.

BEA’s Arika Howard scored the first win for the home team in the No. 3 singles match.

Howard, a senior, was at the top of her game in the first set and cruised to a 6-1 win over the Saints’ Mya Hanson.

Howard used her speed and agility to get to the net and take the second set 6-3.

St. James increased their team lead to 3-1 when they scored a victory in the No. 2 doubles match.

Sam Tetzloff and Allison Bluedorn of the Saints trailed in the first set but came back to win 7-6 (7-2) over Lyndsey Borris and Britt Howard of the Bucs.

Borris and Howard came out in the second set and quickly built a 3-0 lead before Tetzloff went down with an ankle injury and had to take time to get it taped.

Following the delay the Saints regained the momentum and went on to win the second set 6-4.

BEA’s Addison Armstrong cut the St. James lead to 3-2 when she defeated Eva Romsdahl 6-2, 6-3, in the No. 4 singles match.

Cali Beyer and Olivia Dutton of the Bucs, who had taken the court following the No. 1 doubles match, tied the team score at 3-3 with a 6-0, 6-3, triumph over Emma Anderson and Sofia Solorzano in the No. 3 doubles match.

All eyes were now on the No. 1 singles match between Ta Armstrong of the Bucs and Ellie Becker of the Saints.

Armstrong won the first set 6-4 before Becker took the second set by an identical 6-4 score.

The third set was tied 1-1 when Becker broke Armstrong’s serve to go up 2-1. Becker increased her lead to 4-1 before Armstrong closed the gap to 4-3. Becker closed out the match by winning the next two games for a 6-3 third set victory.

Both teams begin Section 3A quarterfinals on Monday, Oct. 5, with the home site based on an upcoming seeding meeting and there is a good chance they will see each other again before Section play is through.

BEA 7, Luverne 0

The Blue Earth Area girls tennis team accomplished one of their team goals last Tuesday, Sept. 29, on the Schroeder Courts in Blue Earth.

Their 7-0 defeat of the Luverne Cardinals in a Big South Conference cross-over meet gave the Buccaneers an 11-0 record and a perfect regular season. The Bucs are also the East Division champion of the conference.

BEA took a relatively quick 3-0 lead in the meet and then had to wait awhile for the fourth team point, which would assure their victory.

Marissa Benz kept up her steady play at No. 2 singles to produce a 6-2, 6-2, victory over the Cardinals’ Elise Jarchow.

The Bucs No. 1 doubles team of McKenna Dutton and Kylie Rosenau picked up the second win of the day for the team. The BEA pair defeated Lauren VerSteeg and Solveig Tofteland 6-4, 6-1.

At No. 4 singles, BEA’s Addison Armstrong downed Mia Wenzel 6-2, 6-2. The Bucs were now up 3-0 in the team score.

It took awhile, but Arika Howard won a three-set match over Luverne’s Ainslie Robinson at No. 3 singles to give the Maroon and Gold their winning point.

Howard won the opening set 6-0 and had built up a 4-0 lead in the second set only to see Robinson fight back and rally for a 7-5 second set victory.

However, Howard would not be denied. The senior regrouped and won the third set 6-1 to win her match and guarantee the Bucs’ perfect regular season.

BEA’s Ta Armstrong found herself in her toughest battle of the year at No. 1 singles against Roz Oye of Luverne.

Oye won the first set 6-3 and was leading 4-3 in the second set before Armstrong rallied to win three straight games to win the set 6-4 and force a third set.

Armstrong shut out Oye in the third set, winning 6-0 and giving Blue Earth Area their fifth team point.

The No. 2 doubles match also went to three sets. BEA’s Lyndsey Borris and Britt Howard won the opening set over Olivia Wieneke and Jacey Smith 6-2.

The second set came down to a tiebreaker and the Cardinals evened the match with a 7-6 (13-11) win.

Borris and Howard dug in and orchestrated a 6-2 win in the third set to put the Bucs up 6-0.

The final match of the contest was at No. 3 doubles where BEA’s Cali Beyer and Olivia Dutton defeated Liz Kelm and Brynn Thier 6-3, 6-2.