The unfortunate nature of the beast for women's tennis is they just don't get seen on campus very often. Minnesota's fickle spring has added to the team's anonymity this spring. On Friday, April 27, though, the women hope to play on Holt Court and the Piper community can watch freshman Ali Kopiecki show what she can with a racket in her hands.
So far, she has been very impressive. Playing at No. 1 singles, Ali has forged a 14-2 solo record. On Saturday, she earned the Pipers' lone point in an 8-1 loss to St. Mary's with a pair of 6-1 wins in singles. She earned her seventh straight singles triumph Sunday when she submerged Concordia's Jenna Forknell, 6-4, 6-1. Earlier, Kopiecki and partner Megan Anderson rolled to an 8-3 win in doubles to improve to 4-4 as a duo. The Pipers won the match from the Cobbers, 6-3 and now stand 8-8 overall, 1-7 in MIAC play.
The league doesn't have a Rookie of the Year postseason award. But the Pipers -- and the MIAC in general -- know who would be a serious candidate if one did exist.