Saint John's tennis returns to conference play with a 4:30 p.m. match against St. Olaf on Saturday, March 19, at the Owatonna Tennis Center.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (6-2, 3-0 MIAC) extended its win streak to six matches with victories in the first three matches of its spring-break trip in Orlando, before the Johnnies dropped a pair of bouts on the last day to non-Division III teams. SJU earned wins over Ohio Wesleyan (5-4) and a pair of Illinois schools, Monmouth (8-1) and NAIA St. Francis (5-4). The Johnnies suffered 7-0 losses to NAIA St. Thomas (Fla.) and Division II Stonehill (Mass.), and had two other matches canceled due to rain: March 7 vs. Covenant (Ga.) and March 10 vs. Hampden-Sydney (Va.).

All 12 Johnnies competed in singles and doubles competition on the trip. Freshman Ryan Will (Northfield, Minn.) led the team with two singles wins (nine others posted a win each), while he and junior Peyton Fischer (Spicer, Minn./Willmar) improved to 7-2 in doubles play with a 3-1 record.

A LOOK AT THE OLES: St. Olaf (1-2, 1-1 MIAC) ended a two-match skid to start the 2022 season with an 8-1 win over Saint Mary's last Saturday (March 12) in Owatonna. The Oles won all three doubles matches, including an 8-7 (7-4) decision at No. 1, and claimed four of the six singles matches via the super-breaker. The other singles victory was due to retirement. SMU's lone win was at No. 5.

LAST SPRING: SJU won the last meeting, the Johnnies' home opener on March 20 (2021) at Sta-Fit in Sartell, with an 8-1 decision. The Johnnies swept all six singles matches, five in straight sets, in the victory.

Thomas Gillach '21 and junior Wil McDowell (Sioux Falls, S.D./O'Gorman) won at No. 1 doubles (8-3), while Peyton and Hunter Fischer (Spicer, Minn./Willmar) matched the score at No. 3. St. Olaf won at No. 2 doubles, 8-5.

Gillach (No. 1), McDowell (No. 3) and Peyton Fischer (No. 4) won their singles matches in straight sets.

Nate Jordre '21 won at No. 2 singles, his first match of the season, via the super-breaker: 3-6, 6-2, 11-9. Freshman Mason Meyer (Bloomington, Minn./Jefferson) claimed a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 5 and freshman Mike Krasowski (Wausau, Wis./East) won his first collegiate match at No. 6 singles, 6-4 and 7-6 (7-1).

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies are 17-18 against the Oles since 1989, including a 9-8 record on STO's home court (7-6 in Northfield, 2-1 in Owatonna). SJU has won each of the last five meetings overall.