Friday’s weather hindered Saturday’s performance as the SIU women’s tennis team opened the 2013 season with a 6-1 loss to the University of Louisville.

Unstable weather conditions prompted the cancellation of Friday’s scheduled season opener at Lindsey Wilson College.

“We were supposed to get freezing rain on Friday, and it didn’t hit our area, but it hit Kentucky a lot,” coach Audra Nothwehr said. “They had a lot of ice and sleet, so they canceled school and the whole town was basically shut down.”

Despite the bad weather, the team

made the two-hour drive Saturday from South-Central Kentucky to Louisville. However, Nothwehr said rust showed as Louisville played like the better-prepared team throughout the day.

“The Lindsey Wilson match that we were supposed to play on Friday was supposed to be our ‘Get the kinks out’

Senior Melanie Delsart played a tough match but lost to Louisville’s Julia Fellerhoff 6-3, 4-6, 10-1 in three sets.

“Both Melanie and Jenn struggled in the first set, and they were able to make adjustments and really key in on the opponents weaknesses during the second set,” Nothwehr said. “They both did a great job of making adjustments, and that’s what you have to do. If you lose the first set, you have to do something different.”

Nothwehr said the team played Louisville two years ago and the Cardinals have been successful against them recently. She said this year the Salukis played a lot tougher, but she’s still

disappointed in the team’s performance. “I think that our team is at a different level than we’ve been in the past,and we expected a lot more out of

them,” she said. The No. 36-ranked doubles team,

composed of Delsart and senior Anastacia Simons, lost 8-3 to Louisville’s Manuela Velasquez and Julia Fellerhoff. Nothwehr said the two failed to have the same success that earned them their national ranking during the fall season.

“I don’t think they performed as well as they did back in the fall,” Nothwehr said. “They didn’t do a bad job; I just think they were playing a very strong team.”

— Audra Nothwehr Head coach

type of match,” she said. “We weren’t supposed to jump right into that Louisville match that we knew was going to be so tough, and I think that’s kind of what happened.”

Senior Jennifer Dien defeated Louisville’s Becky Bodine 1-6, 6-3, 10-6, in three sets, which was the Salukis lone win during the matchup.

Senior Melanie Delsart played a tough match but lost to Louisville’s Julia Fellerhoff 6-3, 4-6, 10-1 in three sets.

“Both Melanie and Jenn struggled in the first set, and they were able to make adjustments and really key in on the opponents weaknesses during the second set,” Nothwehr said. “They both did a great job of making adjustments, and that’s what you have to do. If you lose the first set, you have to do something different.”

Nothwehr said the team played Louisville two years ago and the Cardinals have been successful against them recently. She said this year the Salukis played a lot tougher, but she’s still

disappointed in the team’s performance. “I think that our team is at a different level than we’ve been in the past,and we expected a lot more out of

them,” she said. The No. 36-ranked doubles team,

composed of Delsart and senior Anastacia Simons, lost 8-3 to Louisville’s Manuela Velasquez and Julia Fellerhoff. Nothwehr said the two failed to have the same success that earned them their national ranking during the fall season.

“I don’t think they performed as well as they did back in the fall,” Nothwehr said. “They didn’t do a bad job; I just think they were playing a very strong team.”