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Rudiger-Anderson Finish Second at No. 2 Doubles The Falcon tennis team placed fourth in the WIAC tournament, and finished fourth in the final WIAC standings, at the annual conference championships played in Madison. The best finish for the Falcons came from the No. 2 doubles team of Mindy Rudiger and Katie Anderson who placed second. They lost in the title match, 8-2, to an Eau Claire team. The No. 1 Falcon doubles team of Becky Briese and Katy Ostrowski placed fifth after defeating a Stout team, 8-4. In singles play, Briese, playing at No. 1, lost to a Whitewater opponent in three sets, 6-2, 4-6, 6-3. In the match for third place she lost to an Eau Claire player, 6-3, 6-2. At No. 2 Ostrowski placed fifth after she defeated a Stevens Point opponent, 6-4, 6-0. Cassie Wood, playing at No. 3, beat a La Crosse opponent, the No. 1 seeded, 6-2, 6-2. She then lost the match for third place to an Eau Claire opponent, 6-2, 6-0. Anderson, at No. 4, lost to a Stevens Point opponent, 7-5, 7-5. She then placed for fifth place and lost to a Stout opponent, 6-1, 6-2. At No. 5, Rudiger placed third. She lost her first match to a La Crosse opponent, 6-4, 7-5, but she came back in the third place match to defeat an Eau Claire opponent, 6-4, 6-1. At No. 6, Tracey Boyle finished fifth when she defeated an Oshkosh opponent, 6-1, 6-3. La Crosse won the tournament title with 56 points followed by Eau Claire 53, Whitewater 48, RIver Falls 31, Stout 29, Oshkosh 23 and Stevens Point 12. In the final standings, which combines dual meet records along with a team's finish at the WIAC meet, La Crosse won the team title with 21 points followed by Eau Claire 18, Whitewater 15, River Falls 11, Stout 10, Oshkosh 5 and Stevens Point 4. Saturday's Results The Falcon No. 2 doubles team of Mindy Rudiger and Katie Anderson won twice on Saturday and will now play for the flight championship on Sunday at the WIAC Championships being played in Madison. The Falcon team, seeded No. 4, defeated the No. 5 seeded Stevens Point team, 8-5, and then came back later and defeated the No. 1 seeded team from La Crosse, 9-8. They will play the No. 2 seeded Eau Claire team for the title. The No. 1 doubles team of Becky Briese and Katie Ostrowski lost to a Whitewater team, 8-2. They will play Stout, seeded No. 3, for fifth place on Sunday. The No. 3 team of Danielle Huper and Allie Nickel lost twice on Saturday. They lost to a Whitewater team, 8-3, and to a Stevens Point team, 8-6. In singles play, three Falcons won first round matches. Rudiger won at No. 5, beating a Stout player, 6-3, 6-4. She will play the No. 1 seeded player from La Crosse on Sunday. Cassie Wood, playing at No. 3, beat a Stout opponent, 6-2, 6-1 and she will play the No. 1 seeded player from La Crosse next. Briese, playing at No. 1, topped a Stout player, 6-3, 6-1, and will face the No. 1 seeded player from Whitewater on Sunday. Tracey Boyle played at No. 6 and lost to a La Crosse player, 6-4, 6-1. She gets a bye into the second round. Anderson, playing at No. 4, lost to an Eau Claire player and will face a Stevens Point opponent on Sunday. Ostrowski, playing at No. 2, lost to a Stout player, 7-5, 6-2 and gets a bye into the next round. Action continues at 9 a.m., on Sunday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison. WIAC Championships

Mindy Rudiger Katie Anderson

Rudiger-Anderson Will Play For No. 2 Doubles Title Oct. 21, 2006 The Falcon No. 2 doubles team of Mindy Rudiger and Katie Anderson won twice on Saturday and will now play for the flight championship on Sunday at the WIAC Championships being played in Madison. The Falcon team, seeded No. 4, defeated the No. 5 seeded Stevens Point team, 8-5, and then came back later and defeated the No. 1 seeded team from La Crosse, 9-8. They will play the No. 2 seeded Eau Claire team for the title. The No. 1 doubles team of Becky Briese and Katie Ostrowski lost to a Whitewater team, 8-2. They will play Stout, seeded No. 3, for fifth place on Sunday. The No. 3 team of Danielle Huper and Allie Nickel lost twice on Saturday. They lost to a Whitewater team, 8-3, and to a Stevens Point team, 8-6. In singles play, three Falcons won first round matches. Rudiger won at No. 5, beating a Stout player, 6-3, 6-4. She will play the No. 1 seeded player from La Crosse on Sunday. Cassie Wood, playing at No. 3, beat a Stout opponent, 6-2, 6-1 and she will play the No. 1 seeded player from La Crosse next. Briese, playing at No. 1, topped a Stout player, 6-3, 6-1, and will face the No. 1 seeded player from Whitewater on Sunday. Tracey Boyle played at No. 6 and lost to a La Crosse player, 6-4, 6-1. She gets a bye into the second round. Anderson, playing at No. 4, lost to an Eau Claire player and will face a Stevens Point opponent on Sunday. Ostrowski, playing at No. 2, lost to a Stout player, 7-5, 6-2 and gets a bye into the next round. Action continues at 9 a.m., on Sunday at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison. WIAC Championships

Mindy Rudiger Katie Anderson

Falcons Top Hamline, 5-4 Oct. 5, 2006 The Falcons tennis team won four singles matches and one in doubles to claim a 5-4 win over Hamline on Thursday afternoon at the UWRF courts. The Falcon No. 3 through 6 singles players all earned points. Cassie Wood defeated her opponent, 6-4, 6-4 and Katie Anderson won, 6-2, 6-1. Mindy Rudiger won at No. 5, 6-3, 6-0 and Tracy Boyle got a point with a 6-3, 10-8 win. The other point came from the No. 2 doubles team of Rudiger-Anderson who won, 8-6. The Falcons ended the regular season with 6-7 dual meet and 2-4 WIAC records. They will now prepare for the WIAC Championships which will be Oct. 20-21 at the Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison. UW-River Falls 5, Hamline 4 Singles No. 1 - Kelly Gust (H) defeated Becky Briese (RF), 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), (10-6) No. 2 - Andrea Eilertson (H) defeated Katie Ostrowski (RF), 7-5, 6-1 No. 3 - Cassie Wood (RF) defeated Liz Gunderson (H), 6-4, 6-4 No. 4 - Katie Anderson (RF) defeated Trina Ellis (H), 6-2, 6-1 No. 5 - Mindy Rudiger (RF) defeated Stephanie England (H), 6-3, 6-0 No. 6 - Tracy Boyle (RF) defeated Emma Jamieson (H), 6-3, 10-8 Doubles No. 1 - Eilertson-Gunderson (H) defeated Briese-Ostrowski (RF),   8-6 No. 2 - Anderson-Rudiger (RF) defeated Gust-Ellis (H), 8-6 No. 3 - England-Jamieson (H) defeated Danielle Huper-Allie Nickel (RF),   8-1

Mindy Rudiger Katie Anderson

Falcons Lose 9-0 to Blugolds Oct. 3, 2006 The Falcons lost to Eau Claire 9-0 Tuesday afternoon in their final WIAC match of the season. The loss dropped the Falcons to 2-4 in the WIAC and 5-7 overall. After running off three consecutive wins they have now dropped two straight to tough conference foes. Mindy Rudiger, playing at the No. 5 spot, fought the closest match of the day for the Falcons, losing 6-4, 6-3 to Eau Claires' Liz Deprey. All three Falcons' doubles teams were leading about halfway through the matches, but all wound up losing in the end. The Falcons No.1 team of Becky Briese and Katie Ostrowski lost a heart breaking tie-breaker 9-8, (7-1). The Falcons will play their last regular season match on Thursday, hosting Hamline at 4 p.m. UW-Eau Claire 9, UW-River Falls 0 Singles No. 1 – Sarah Riordan (EC) defeated Becky Briese (RF), 6-0, 6-2 No. 2 – Gina Dahl (EC) defeated Katie Ostrowski (RF), 6-0, 6-1 No. 3 – Kristie Carlson (EC) defeated Cassie Wood (RF), 6-0, 6-1 No. 4 – Laura Geissler (EC) defeated Katie Anderson (RF), 6-1, 6-1 No. 5 – Liz Deprey (EC) defeated Mindy Rudiger (RF), 6-4, 6-3 No. 6 – Angela Shields (EC) defeated Tracy Boyle (RF), 6-0, 6-1 Doubles No. 1 – Geissler-Riordan (EC) def. Briese-Ostrowski (RF), 9-8 (7-1) No. 2 – Carlson-McCormick (EC) def. Anderson-Rudiger (RF), 8-3 No. 3 – Dahl-Depry (EC) def. Danielle Huper-Allie Nickel (RF), 8-4

Mindy Rudiger

Meet Against MSU-Mankato Cancelled Sept. 29, 2006 The Falcons dual meet against MSU-Mankato scheduled for Friday, Sept. 29 at 4 p.m., has been cancelled. The Falcons, now 5-6, will next host Eau Claire in a WIAC match on Tuesday. Action starts at 3:30 p.m., at the UWRF Courts.

Falcons Lose to Eagles, 9-0 Sept. 27, 2006 The Falcons had their three match winning streak snapped in a 9-0 loss to La Crosse Wednesday afternoon at the UWRF Courts. Tracy Boyle had a solid effort at No. 6 singles losing to La Crosse's Sarah Schoenwaelder, 7-6 (7-4), 6-2. Both the No. 1 and 2 doubles teams lost 8-4. UWRF's Becky Briese and Katie Ostrowski lost to UWLC's Angie Riedel and Julie Tellefsen at No. 1. The No. 2 team of Katie Anderson and Mindy Rudiger lost to La Crosse's Erin Fekete and Rachel Benn. The Falcons, now 5-6, will next host MSU-Mankato on Friday at the UWRF Courts with action starting at 4 p.m. UW-La Crosse 9, UW-River Falls 0 Singles No. 1 - Angie Riedel (LC) defeated Becky Briese (RF), 6-1, 6-3 No. 2 - Rachel Benn (LC) defeated Katie Ostrowski (RF), 6-2, 6-2 No. 3 - Julie Tellefsen (LC) defeated Cassie Wood (RF), 6-3, 6-0 No. 4 - Erin Fekete (LC) defeated Katie Anderson (RF), 6-2, 6-0 No. 5 - Carlie Bohrman (LC) defeated Mindy Rudiger (RF), 6-4, 6-1 No. 6 - Sarah Schoenwaelder (LC) defeated Tracy Boyle (RF), 7-6 (7-4), 6-2 Doubles No. 1 - Riedel-Tellefsen (LC) defeated Briese-Ostrowski (RF), 8-4 No. 2 - Fekete-Benn (LC) defeated Anderson-Rudiger (RF), 8-4 No. 3 - Schoenwaelder-Courtney Tornow (LC) defeated Wood-Allie Nickel (RF), 8-2

Tracy Boyle Katie Anderson

Falcons Beat Bethel in Fashion, 9-0 Sept. 25, 2006 The Falcons won their third match in a row on Monday, beating Bethel University 9-0 to even their record at 5-5 on the season. No. 1 singles player Becky Briese rolled to her fourth consecutive victory, holding off her opponent 6-1, 6-4. Player of the week, Cassidy Wood, stayed hot and added to her own winning streak of four with a 6-0, 6-2 victory playing at the No. 3 spot. No. 2 singles player Katie Ostrowski held off a late comeback from her opponent, winning 6-1, 6-4. In doubles, the No. 3 tandem of Wood and Allie Nickel has proven to be a winning combination as of late as they won their second in a row, 8-1. The Falcons, now 5-5, will next host reigning WIAC champion LaCrosse on Wednesday at 3:30. UW-River Falls 9, Bethel University 0 Singles No. 1 – Becky Briese (RF) def. Kari Blair 6-1, 6-4 No. 2 – Katie Ostrowski (RF) def. Andrea Beegle 6-1, 6-4 No. 3 – Cassidy Wood (RF) def. Ashley Watts 6-0, 6-2 No. 4 – Katie Anderson (RF) def. Heather Blair 6-3, 6-1 No. 5 – Mindy Rudiger (RF) def. Ashley Dohlen 6-4, 6-1 No. 6 – Tracy Boyle (RF) def. Heather Roberts 6-4, 6-1 Doubles No. 1 – Briese-Ostrowski (RF) def. Blair-Beegle 8-5 No. 2 – Anderson-Rudiger (RF) def. LoRoyce Chapman-K. Watts 8-4 No. 3 – Wood-Allie Nickel (RF) def. Dohlen-Roberts 8-1

Allie Nickel Becky Briese

Falcons Stymie Opponents in Doubleheader Sweep Sept. 23, 2006 The Falcons took home two WIAC wins Saturday afternoon in a doubleheader sweep at Stevens Point against Oshkosh and Stevens Point. The Falcons No. 1 through No. 3 singles players went undefeated in their singles matches. No. 1 singles player Becky Briese looked phenomenal in her matches, winning 6-2, 6-0 against Oshkosh and 6-0, 6-1 against Stevens Point. No. 4 singles player Mindy Rudiger also looked flawless Saturday, going 2-0 in her single matches and 2-0 in doubles as well. The Falcons weren't just spectacular in singles play, they also went a combined 5-1 in doubles matches. The No. 1 team of Briese and Katie Ostrowski won both of their matches. The Falcons fought some tough doubles matches against Oshkosh, but prevailed the winner in all three. The No. 1 team won 8-6, No. 2 team won 8-5 and the No. 3 team won 8-6. The Falcons, now 4-5, will next host Bethel College on Monday at 4:30 and will host WIAC opponent LaCrosse on Wednesday at 3:30. UW-River Falls 7, UW-Oshkosh 2 Singles No. 1 – Becky Briese (RF) def. Cory Salo 6-2, 6-0 No. 2 – Katie Ostrowski (RF) def. Jenna Abbott 6-1, 6-0 No. 3 – Cass Wood (RF) def. Whitney Tornow 6-4, 6-2 No. 4 – Molly Eaton (OSH) def. Katie Anderson 7-6, 6-4 No. 5 – Mindy Rudiger (RF) def. Brittany Braasch 6-1, 6-1 No. 6 – Melissa Fosdick (OSH) def. Tracy Boyle 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 Doubles No. 1 – Briese-Ostrowski (RF) def. Salo-Tornow 8-6 No. 2 – Anderson-Rudiger (RF) def. Abbott-Braasch 8-5 No. 3 – Wood-Allie Nickel (RF) def. Fosdick-Jenna Simon 8-6 UW-River Falls 8, UW-Stevens Point 1 Singles No. 1 – Becky Briese (RF) def. Cathy Thornburg 6-0, 6-1 No. 2 – Katie Ostrowski (RF) def. Emily Bouche 6-1, 7-6 (7-3) No. 3 – Cass Wood (RF) def. Emily Riordan 6-1, 6-1 No. 4 – Katie Anderson (RF) def. Mashell VerBockel 6-2, 7-5 No. 5 – Mindy Rudiger (RF) def. Sarah O'Melia 6-0, 6-0 No. 6 – Tracy Boyle (RF) def. Kaitlyn King 6-0, 6-2 Doubles No. 1 – Briese-Ostrowski (RF) def. Thornburg-Bouche 8-3 No. 2 – Anderson-Rudiger (RF) def. VerBockel-O'Melia 8-2 No. 3 – Riordan-King (SP) def. Wood-Allie Nickel (RF) 8-3

Mindy Rudiger Becky Briese

Falcons Drop 6-3 Match to Stout Sept. 20, 2006 The Falcon tennis team lost a tough conference match 6-3 to Stout on Wednesday afternoon. No.1 singles player Becky Briese cruised to a 6-0, 6-1 victory and No. 2 singles player Cassie Wood overpowered her opponent 6-3, 6-0 Wednesday afternoon in River Falls. The rest of the team fought tough matches but couldn't get the wins. No.3 singles player Katie Ostrowski got off to a fast start in her match, winning the first set but eventaully losing 6-2, 5-7, 1-6. No. 5 singles player Mindy Rudiger fought very hard in her match, but lost 1-6, 6-7 (4-7). The No. 2 doubles team of Rudiger and Katie Anderson played an impressive match, winning 9-8, (8-6). The No. 1 doubles team of Briese/Ostrowski also played a very good match, losing 8-9, (7-9). The Falcons, now 2-5, will next play a doubleheader at Stevens Point, battling Oshkosh at noon and Stevens Point at 3:30. Stout 6, River Falls 3 Singles 1. Becky Briese (RF) defeated Jenna Bettmann (S) 6-0, 6-1 2. Jodie Czech (S) defeated Katie Ostrowski (RF) 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 3. Cassie Wood (RF) defeated Kiersten Johnson (S) 6-3, 6-0 4. Sarah Kalenberg (S) defeated Katie Anderson (RF) 6-0, 6-2 5. Michelle Hohl (S) defeated Mindy Rudiger (RF) 6-1, 7-6 (7-4) 6. Katie Carr (S) defeated Tracy Boyle (RF) 6-0, 6-1 Doubles 1. Bettmann/Czech (S) defeated Briese/Ostrowski 9-8, (9-7) 2. Anderson/Rudiger (RF) defeated Danielle Farchmin/Lindsey Luberda 9-8, (8-6) 3. Hohl/Carr (S) defeated Boyle/Allison Nickel (RF) 8-2

Cassi Wood Becky Briese

Falcons Drop 8-1 Match at St. Thomas Sept. 19, 2006 The Falcon tennis team lost an 8-1 decision at St. Thomas on Monday afternoon. The Falcon No. 1 doubles team of Becky Briese and Katie Ostrowski earned the Falcon point with a 9-7 win. In singles play Ostrowski, playing at No. 2, won the first set, 6-3 and lost the second, 6-1. In the tie breaker St. Thomas' Cortney Dirks took a 12-10 win and the match. The Falcons, now 2-4, will host Stout at 3:30 p.m. on Wednesday in a WIAC match. St. Thomas 8, River Falls 1 Singles 1. Kathryn Whaling (ST) defeated Becky Briese (RF) 6-3, 6-2 2. Cortney Dirks (ST) defeated Katie Ostrowski (RF) 3-6, 6-1, 12-10 3. Christina Alexander (ST) defeated Cassi Wood (RF) 6-2, 6-0 4. Alison Brufoldt (ST) defeated Katie Anderson (RF) 6-3, 6-2 5. Hadley Syverud (ST) defeated Mindy Rudiger (RF) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2 6. Brittany Bachman (ST) defeated Tracy Boyle (RF) 6-3, 6-4 Doubles 1. Briese/Ostrowski (RF) defeated Whaling/Laura Thomas (ST) 9-7 2. Brufoldt/Syverud (ST) defeated Anderson/Rudiger (RF) 8-1 3. Nickey Nichols/Alexander (ST) defeated Boyle/Allison Nickel (RF) 8-1

Katie Ostrowski Becky Briese

Falcons Earn Split in Doubleheader Sept. 16, 2006 The Falcon tennis team started the afternoon with a tough loss to Whitewater but followed it up with a decisive victory against St. Mary's Against WIAC powerhouseWhitewater, No. 1 singles player Becky Briese fought a tough match but lost 6-3, 7-5. Tracey Boyle, playing at No. 6 singles got the lone Falcons point, coming back and winning a super tiebreaker 4-6, 6-3, 10-8. Boyle and her doubles partner, Cassie Wood, almost pulled off a win at No. 3 doubles, losing 9-7. The Falcons bounced back and played a great match against St. Mary's. Briese rebounded from here tough loss against Whitewater to win 6-3, 7-5. Boyle won again to finish her first collegiate weekend 3-0. Cassie Wood, playing at No. 3 singles, battled a tough opponent and prevailed, winning 7-6 (7-3), 6-3. The doubles teams played great, winning all three matches. The Falcons, now 2-3, will play at St. Thomas on Monday at 3:30 Whitewater 8, River Falls 1 Singles No. 1 Nicole Stamm (W) defeated Becky Briese (RF), 6-3, 7-5 No. 2 Jessie Farrar (W) defeated Katie Ostrowski (RF), 6-2, 6-3 No. 3 Kara Theis (W) defeated Cassie Wood (RF), 6-1, 6-1 No. 4 Kara Amundson (W) defeated Katie Anderson (RF), 6-1, 6-2 No. 5 Jenny Woyahn (W) defeated Mindy Rudiger (RF), 6-1, 6-2 No. 6 Tracy Boyle (RF) defeated Michelle Daciolas (W), 4-6, 6-3, 10-8 Doubles No. 1 Stamm-Farrar (W) defeated Briese-Ostrowski (RF), 8-2 No. 2 Theis-Tiffany Dawson (W) defeated Anderson-Rudiger (RF), 8-5 No. 3 Amundson-Daciolas (W) defeated Wood-Boyle (RF), 9-7 River Falls 9, St. Marys 0 Singles No. 1 - Becky Briese (RF) defeated Shannon Cooney (SMU), 6-3, 7-5 No. 2 - Kathryne Ostrowski (RF) defeated Ann Leeder (SMU), 6-3, 6-3 No. 3 - Cassie Wood (RF) defeated Abby Cooper (SMU), 6-4, 6-4 No. 4 - Katie Anderson (RF) defeated Brittany Nielson (SMU), 7-6 (7-3), 6-3 No. 5 - Mindy Rudiger (RF) defeated Colleen Radermacher (SMU), 6-1, 6-1 No. 6 - Tracey Boyle (RF) defeated Hillary Framke (SMU), 6-1, 7-5 Doubles No. 1 - Briese-Ostrowski (RF) defeated Leeder-Cooney (SMU), 8-3 No. 2 - Anderson-Rudiger (RF) defeated Cooper-Toni Troumbly (SMU), 8-2 No. 3 - Wood-Allie Nickel(RF) defeated Brianna Placek-Sara Clements, 8-6

Tracey Boyle Becky Briese

Falcons Earn First Win Beating Ripon, 9-0 Sept. 15, 2006 The Falcon tennis team got into the win column with a 9-0 sweep of Ripon College on Friday afternoon. No. 1 singles player Becky Briese got her first win of the season, 6-3, 6-1. Kathryne Ostrowski, playing at No. 2 singles, continued her solid first season, winning 6-0, 6-1. Cassie Wood, playing a No. 3 singles, came back from some tough loses last weekend to win, 6-1, 6-1. Katie Anderson, playing at No. 4 singles, cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 victory. Mindy Rudiger fought a tough match, winning 6-4, 6-4 playing at the No. 5 singles. Tracey Boyle, playing in first collegiate match, won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 6 singles. The doubles teams dominated all three matches, allowing just one point combined in all three matches. The Falcons, now 1-2, will next host Whitewater on Saturday at 10 a.m. River Falls 9, Ripon 0 Singles No. 1 - Becky Briese (RF) defeated Jamie Lichon (R), 6-3, 6-1 No. 2 - Kathryne Ostrowski (RF) defeated Mara Evans (R), 6-0, 6-1 No. 3 - Cassie Wood (RF) defeated Arielle Denis (R), 6-1, 6-1 No. 4 - Katie Anderson (RF) defeated Chelsey Foster (R), 6-2, 6-1 No. 5 - Mindy Rudiger (RF) defeated Alecia Kiszonas (R), 6-4, 6-4 No. 6 - Tracey Boyle (RF) defeated Kate Dricken (R), 6-1, 6-0 Doubles No. 1 - Briese-Ostrowski (RF) defeated Lichon-Kara Wagner, 8-1 No. 2 - Anderson-Rudiger (RF) defeated Evans-Megan Petri, 8-0 No. 3 - Wood-Boyle (RF) defeated Foster-Kristine Jansen, 8-0

Tracey Boyle Becky Briese

Falcons Lose 5-4 Decision at Lawrence Sept. 9, 2006 The Falcon tennis team lost a close 5-4 decision at Lawrence on Saturday morning. The Falcons won three points in singles play and one in doubles. Kathryne Ostrowski picked up her first collegiate win with a 6-0, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles. Katie Anderson, playing in No. 4 singles, came back from losing the first set to win the match, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1. Mindy Rudiger did the same thing at No. 5 singles. She lost the first set, 6-1, but then rebounded to win the next two, 6-2, 6-4. The No. 3 doubles team of Danielle Huper and Tracy Boyle earned the other Falcon point with an 8-3 win. The Falcons, now 0-2, will next host Ripon on Friday at 4 p.m. Lawrence 5, River Falls 4 Singles No. 1 - Susan Klumpner (L) defeated Becky Briese (RF), 6-4, 6-2 No. 2 - Kathryne Ostrowski (RF) defeated Hanah McCarthy (L), 6-0, 6-4 No. 3 - Lisa Ritland (L) defeated Cassie Wood, 6-1, 6-4 No. 4 - Katie Anderson (RF) defeated Emily Dalton (L), 1-6, 6-3, 6-1 No. 5 - Mindy Rudiger (RF) defeated Tara Lahtinen (L), 1-6, 6-2, 6-4 No. 6 - Gulsun Inal (L) defeated Allie Nickel (RF), 6-3, 5-7, 6-2 Doubles No. 1 - Klumpner-McCarthy (L) defeated Briese-Ostrowski (RF), 8-3 No. 2 - Ritland-Dalton (L) defeated Anderson-Rudiger (RF), 8-1 No. 3 - Danielle Huper-Tracy Boyle (RF) defeated Maggie Helms-Lahtinen (L), 8-3

Kathryne Ostrowski Katie Anderson

Falcons Drop 7-2 Decision at St. Norbert Sept. 8, 2006 The Falcon tennis team opened its season with a 7-2 loss at St. Norbert on Friday. The Falcons won two points at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles. At No. 2 the team of Katie Anderson and Mindy Rudiger beat their opponets, 8-5. The No. 3 Falcon team of Cassie Wood and Danielle Huper won, 9-8 (9-7). Wood, playing at No. 3 singles, had a long match. She lost the first set, 6-2, but came back to win the second, 6-2. She lost the third, 11-9. The Falcons will compete at Lawrence at 9 a.m. on Saturday. St. Norbert 7, River Falls 2 Singles No. 1 - Kayte O'Brien (SN) defeated Becky Briese (RF), 6-4, 6-1 No. 2 - Lauren Post (SN) defeated Kathryne Ostrowski (RF), 6-2, 7-5 No. 3 - Allyson Yankle (SN) defeated Cassie Wood (RF), 6-2, 2-6, 11-9 No. 4 - Emily McElhaney (SN) defeated Katie Anderson (RF), 6-0, 6-2 No. 5 - Jenna Prince (SN) defeated Mindy Rudiger (RF), 6-3, 6-4 No. 6 - Emily Fobian (SN) defeated Danielle Huper (RF), 6-0, 6-2 Doubles No. 1 - O'Brien-Post (SN) defeated Briese-Ostrowski (RF), 8-6 No. 2 - Anderson-Rudiger (RF) defeated Jenna Mischke-Jill Warner (SN), 8-5 No. 3 - Wood-Huper (RF) defeated McElhaney-Prince (SN), 9-8 (9-7

Cassie Wood Mindy Rudiger

Falcons Open Season on Friday Sept. 7, 2006 By Jude Harder UW-RF Sports Information The Falcons women's tennis team is coming off yet another 3-3 finish in the WIAC in 2005. It is their third consecutive season finishing with that record and with a fourth-place standing in the conference. The Falcons open their season this weekend when they play at St. Norbert on Friday and at Lawrence on Saturday. Head Coach Lee Lueck has been trying to break into the upper tier of the conference for seven years now. Whitewater, La Crosse and Eau Claire have controlled the top three spots for five consecutive seasons. In order to break into that top group teams have to start beating the teams in that group. The Falcons consistently beat the bottom three teams in the conference but have yet to be able to beat the big three at the top. As hungry as he is to move up the ladder, Lueck realizes this probably won't be the season to do it as the team is in the process of rebuilding after losing its No. 1 and No. 2 players to graduation. Megan Knoblauch and Leah Baron, the top two players from last season graduated and left a gapping hole in the Falcons lineup for this season. "We lost two great seniors and great leaders," said Lueck. The Falcons will turn to senior Becky Briese and a slew of underclassmen to keep the ship afloat in 2006. Briese is the team's captain and No.1 singles player. She has a career singles record of 33-15 and a career doubles record of 27-22. Playing behind Knoblauch and Baron at No. 3 in 2005, Briese cruised to a 9-6 singles record. Paired with Kaylei Sorensen last season in doubles the tandem was able to go 7-7. "This season Briese needs step up and be a huge leader and be a model of consistency, technique and enthusiasm," said Lueck. The coach has been very impressed with Brieses' off-season dedication to the team. "She has come back well fit, stronger and leaner and so far in practice has really demonstrated her leadership," said Lueck. Lueck enters his seventh season coaching the Falcons. He has brought a team from the cellar of the division and turned them into a very competitive club. Hoping to just maintain their middle position in the conference, Lueck realizes this is year of rebuilding and gaining experience for a very young team. "This year I'd be happy to stay in the middle, anything better than that, I'd say we're overachievers," said Lueck. The Falcons enter the season with nine underclassmen on an 11 player roster. Lueck strongly feels that the team is one good recruiting class away from breaking into the upper echelon of the WIAC. They return three strong sophomores from last year's class and have a handful of talented freshmen this season. Danielle Huper, Katie Lynn Anderson and Mindy Rudiger all played varsity last season as freshmen and look to use that experience to make them that much stronger in 2006. "They gained valuable experience last season as freshmen, this year they are very mentally strong and will rise to the level of their competition," said Lueck. Rudiger flourished in the No. 6 slot last season, going 11-2 and taking second place in the conference. She was named to the second All-WIAC team for singles. She was also received the Falcons Most Improved Player Award. This year's freshmen class consists of a lot of talented young players. The one expected to play the most prominent role on this year's team is Katie Ostrowski. Lueck has her all but penciled in at the No. 2 spot this season. After that the spots appear to be up in the air between the three sophomores. Lueck loves the competition for the single spots. He calls it a challenge ladder that is great for creating competition. "Stay away from the sixth spot because you are constantly fighting competition from the junior varsity girls who want their turn," said Lueck. Lueck always tries to maintain positive energy and a fun attitude with the team. He realizes that if it's no fun for them, there is nothing holding them to the team. He really strives to make it a fun experience for the women and as something that adds to their college career. One thing Lueck really likes is seeing former players stay involved with the team beyond their college career. "It's important that we are family and that we build relationships that last long beyond college," said Lueck. Knoblauch is an assistant coach this season and Baron still hits with the team in practice sessions.

Lee Lueck Becky Briese