MARION, Ind. -- No. 16-ranked Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) handed No. 14-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University women’s tennis an 8-1 loss in the spring season opener Friday at the Sutter Tennis Center.

Katie Wilson (JR/Middletown, Ind.) earned the lone Indiana Wesleyan point with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 1-singles play.

Wilson and Kim Mella (SR/Libertyville, Ill.) lost at No. 1-doubles by an 8-6 margin while the No. 2 team of Rachel Bottorff (SO/Newburgh, Ind.) and Kelsey Vessels (SO/Roanoke, Ind.) plus the No. 3 team of Diane Jones (SR/Greenwood, Ind.) and Ellen Hornett (SO/Fishers, Ind.) each lost 8-4.

Bottorff lost 6-3, 6-0 at No. 2-singles and Courtney Siepman (JR/Plainfield, Ind.) fell 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3-singles. Vessels was defeated 6-1, 6-4 at No. 4 play, Mella dropped a 6-3, 6-1 decision at No. 5, and Mikayla Marazzi (SO/Abbotsford, BC) lost 6-4, 6-3 at No. 60singles.

Indiana Wesleyan is now 14-2 overall this season and 0-1 during spring play. Cardinal Stritch improves to 8-2 with the victory.

IWU returns to action on Saturday with another top-25 match against No. 22 Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) at 2 p.m. at the Sutter Tennis Center.