The Johnnie tennis team returns to MIAC action with a home match against Macalester this Saturday, March 26. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Gold's Gym in Sartell.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's split its final two matches in Arizona on Thursday, March 17. The Johnnies (6-2, 0-1 MIAC) fell to Connecticut College 7-2 before defeating Division II Mesa State College (Colo.) 7-2. The split gave SJU a 3-1 record on its trip after defeating Glendale C.C. and Mesa C.C. with a 7-2 margin on March 14. Junior Ian Hansen (Dawson, Minn./Dawson-Boyd) and freshman Joe Laue (St. Louis Park, Minn./Holy Angels) tallied the Johnnies' lone wins against the Camels earlier in the day Thursday. Hansen won his first set via tie-breaker before claiming the match with a 6-1 second set at No. 1 singles. Laue, meanwhile, won at No. 5 singles with scores of 6-1 and 6-2. SJU won all three doubles matches en route to a 7-2 win over Mesa State. Hansen tallied a hard-fought win, 7-6 (7-2) and 7-6 (7-3), to finish the trip with a perfect 4-0 record in place of sophomore Fabricio Moncada (Managua, Nicaragua/Lincoln International Academy) at No. 1 singles. Junior Justin LaBeaux (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen) won at No. 5 singles (6-3, 7-5), while freshman Connor Rust (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes) and sophomore Zach Shriwise (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) won at Nos. 4 (6-1, 6-2) and 6 (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) singles, respectively.

A LOOK AT THE SCOTS: Macalester (5-4 overall, 0-2 MIAC) returned from its spring break trip to Hilton Head, S. C., with a 3-2 record, including two 9-0 victories. Prior to Hilton Head, the Scots fell to St. Olaf (7-2) and Hamline (5-4), March 4-5.  In the preseason MIAC Coaches' Poll, MAC was ranked in fifth place, edging the Johnnies in sixth.

RANKED DOUBLES TANDEM: Hansen and Moncada are currently ranked 18th in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Central region rankings released March 17. They currently boast a 5-1 record (4-0 dual) at No. 1 doubles.

THE LAST MEETING: The Johnnies lost a gut-wrenching 5-4 decision last April in St. Paul. Hansen earned a straight-set victory, 6-3, and 6-2, at No. 3 singles. He and Moncada then teamed up to post an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles. Moncada lost a tough 6-4, 6-7 (4-7), and 10-6 decision at No. 1 singles. Senior Elliott Elm (Eagan, Minn. /Holy Angels) and Shriwise earned their fifth straight victory at No. 3 doubles, 8-6. Elm lost a super-breaker decision of his own, 3-6, 6-0, and 10-6 at No. 4 singles.