The Johnnie tennis team continues MIAC play by hosting St. Olaf at 3 p.m. Sunday, March 8, at Sta-Fit in Sartell.

A LOOK AT THE JOHNNIES: Saint John's (0-2, 0-2 MIAC) dropped its second-straight match to start the 2026 season – 5-2 to Hamline – last Friday (Feb. 27) in Sartell.

The Pipers won two of the three doubles matches for the single point and claimed four of the six singles bouts, including two via the super-breaker.

Senior Josh Peterson (Perham, Minn.) won at No. 3 for SJU with a super-break decision of his own (6-3, 2-6, 10-5), while sophomore Cole Haabala (Alexandria, Minn.) won his match at No. 5 in straight sets (6-4, 6-3).

Peterson and senior Taylor Duncan (Benson, Minn.) were victorious at No. 3 doubles, 6-1.

A LOOK AT THE OLES: St. Olaf (2-4, 1-1 MIAC) returns the entirety of its playoff lineup from last season, which defeated Concordia-Moorhead 4-2 before falling to Gustavus Adolphus 4-0 in the MIAC semifinals. Four of those returning were All-MIAC selections last season: senior Bogdan Vizoli, junior Marjan Veldic and sophomores Lou Smith and Madden Vanderwerf. Vizoli earned his third-consecutive All-MIAC honor in both singles and doubles last season after finishing 6-7 in singles and 6-11 in doubles - with Smith - all from the top spot. Veldic earned his second-straight All-MIAC selection in singles with a 7-10 record at No. 2. Vanderwerf was an All-MIAC honoree in singles play and was named the MIAC Rookie of the Year after finishing 16-3 across Nos. 3-6 singles.

LAST SPRING: SJU opened its 2025 MIAC schedule with a narrow 5-4 loss to St. Olaf last March 9 in Owatonna. The difference proved to be the Oles' two doubles wins at Nos. 1 and 3 as the two teams split the six singles matches.

Juniors Alex Draeger (Litchfield, Minn.) and Sam Wolden (St. Louis Park, Minn.) combined for three of the Johnnies' four points. The duo won at No. 2, 8-7 (8-6), and split to claim a singles match each. Wolden won his bout at No. 2 in straight sets, 7-6 (7-4) and 6-2, while Draeger battled back from a 6-4 defeat in his first set at No. 6 with a 6-3 win in the second and a 10-8 margin in the super-breaker.

Peterson provided SJU's other win at No. 5 singles (6-1, 6-4). Cooper Anderson '25 suffered a super-breaker loss at No. 3 singles: 6-4, 4-6, 10-5.

SERIES HISTORY: The Johnnies hold a slim 24-23 lead over the Oles since 1981, including a 11-10 record at home (Collegeville, Sartell, St. Joseph and St. Cloud).