After a successful 2012 season that yielded a handful of post-season honors, the St. Catherine University tennis team is poised for what could be its best Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) season in history in 2013.
 
With MIAC Co-Coach of the Year Ben Hageseth returning for his fifth season as head coach of the Wildcats and a roster with three All-MIAC picks, the Wildcats could look to finish near the top of the conference and stamp a return ticket to the MIAC playoffs for a third-straight season.
 
The team's five All-MIAC honors were the most in program history since 2005, when the Wildcats picked up four. As a team, the Wildcats' doubles pairings earned a perfect 3-0 sweep of the competition in 11 matches and had the second-highest winning percentage in MIAC doubles matches (.717).
 
The Wildcats return Maria Koval (Green Bay, Wis.), who in her first-season as a Wildcat, was one of only 14 MIAC players to earn All-MIAC honors for both singles and doubles play. She picked up an impressive 13 wins at No. 2 singles and eight doubles wins in MIAC play. Koval also marked a spot in the top-10 single-season records for doubles wins.
 
Also returning are senior Michaela Burroughs (Waterloo, Neb.) and sophomore Angie Lorenzen (Mitchell, S.D.), both All-MIAC selections for their impressive doubles play in 2012. Burroughs had 13 doubles wins at the No. 1 position and also picked up seven wins against tough competition at the No. 1 singles position.  In her rookie season, Lorenzen boasted an impressive 16 wins at No. 2 doubles and 10 singles wins. Lorenzen also entered the top-10 list for most doubles wins in a single season at St. Catherine.
 
The Wildcats will lose Lauren Beadnell who also earned All-MIAC honors in doubles and Academic All-MIAC honors in her senior season, but welcome back several returners and new players who are sure to add to the depth of the Wildcat squad.
 
Sophomores April Fard (Eden Prairie, Minn.) and Bridget Ferrell (Apple Valley, Minn.) also return for the Wildcats after gaining valuable experience in their rookie seasons. Fard finished her first-year with 10 singles wins, while Ferrell picked up a handful of wins in both singles and doubles play. Sophomore Megan Buysse (Redwood Falls, Minn.) – who had nine singles wins in 2011 – will also be an important member of the returning core for the Wildcats.
 
The Wildcats welcome newcomers Victoria Bravo (Tucson, Ariz.), Kylie Ketcho (Edina, Minn.) and Mikinzee Salo (Brainerd, Minn.) – who combine for eight state appearances and 11 all-conference honors in high school – and hope each will help the Wildcats make another playoff push this year.
 
In the fall season, the Wildcats warmed up for the regular season against some tough competition in several tournaments that had fields consisting of top Division I and Division II players in the region.
 
The Wildcats were picked to finish fifth in the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) preseason coaches' poll for the upcoming MIAC season.
 
The Wildcats will open up the 2013 spring season with matches against Hamline University and Northwestern College, Saturday, Feb. 9, at the University of Minnesota's Baseline Tennis Center. The first match against Hamline is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m., while the second match against Northwestern is at 6:30 p.m.