SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Tennis Team, which is off to a 7-5 (3-4 NSIC, 8th), start to open the spring campaign, will travel for matches with Upper Iowa (6-2, 6-1 NSIC, 2nd) on Saturday, April 1 and Winona State (9-4, 6-1, 2nd) on Sunday, April 2. With matches to be held in Winona, Minn., the Cougars, which are tied for eighth in the NSIC, will face the Peacocks at 4 p.m. on Saturday with a match against WSU at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

USF stands 7-5, including 3-4 in the NSIC
The USF opened the season with nonconference wins over Ottawa, 5-4, and Doane, 8-1, on a neutral court in Red Oak, Iowa on Feb. 4. In USF's home opener, the Cougars defeated Southwest Minnesota State, 7-2, before falling to Minnesota State, 9-0 on Feb. 11. Two weeks ago USF traveled to Bismarck, N.D., and defeated U-Mary, 6-3; and lost a heart-breaker to MSU Moorhead, 5-4. On Feb. 22-23, USF split two matches, defeating Minnesota Crookston, 9-0 before falling to Bemidji State, 8-1. USF hosted and lost to DI Iowa State of the Big 12, 9-0 on March 4. On their spring break trip, USF defeated Bloomsburg (Pa.), 6-3, and SUNY-Geneseo, 6-3. Last Saturday (March 25), the Cougars fell at Augustana, 8-1. With a win by Abby Seigenthaler at #4 singles, USF recorded a win against the perennial conference champs Augustana.

On USF's opponents, Upper Iowa and Winona State
Upper Iowa 6-1 in league play and 6-2 overall with just a league loss to Winona State (7-2) and a nonconference set back to Northern Iowa (6-1). Winona State, which has won four straight matches, loss to Minnesota-Duluth (5-4) in league play and will face Augustana on April 1. They also lost to Lee University (9-0), Saginaw Valley State (9-0) and Bentley University (6-3). WSU's most recent win was an 8-1 decision over Edgewood.

Breaking down USF
Senior Kara Bunkers of Sioux Falls has opened the season 7-4, including 5-2 in NSIC play at #3 singles. Abby Seigenthaler, who is 5-2 at #4 and 3-1 at #5, is also off to a solid start in singles at 8-3 overall and 5-2 in league play. One of her biggest wins was the straight set verdict over Augustana's Christine Olivo (6-3, 6-0) on Saturday.  After dropping a decision to Augustana, #2 doubles Bunkers and Seigenthaler are 4-3 on the season.

Bunkers has also teamed up in doubles with Kylie Simons to produce a 3-1 record overall and 3-1 in league play. Seigenthaler and freshman Tianna Duda are 2-2 at #2 doubles. Duda and Simons have played seven matches at #1 doubles (1-6).

Sophomore Kylie Simons is holding down the #1 singles spot, owning a 2-10 record. Duda has made an impression in her freshman campaign, going 6-6 overall (3-4 NSIC) at #2 singles. Another freshman Kelsie Sanders is 5-5 (2-3 NSIC) while freshman Marie Schmitz is 2-3 (0-3 NSIC) and teamed with Cortney McCans in doubles, going 2-1. McCans, a junior, is 4-5 with a 0-1 mark at #4, 0-2 at #5 and 4-2 at #6.

Head Coach Kevin Grebin, who is the all-time wins leader at the D2 level in tennis at USF, sports a 42-40 overall mark with a 26-24 mark in NSIC play.  

By the numbers
Overall USF is 36-36 in singles matches including 19-23 in league play. In doubles, USF is 17-19, including 9-12 in NSIC action. The Cougars are 4-8 at #1 doubles, 7-5 at #2 doubles and 6-6 at #3 doubles.

Singles 
#1 Kylie Simons, sophomore (2-10, 1-6 NSIC; career - 14-17, 9-9 in NSIC)
#2 Tianna Duda, freshman (6-6 overall, 3-4 in NSIC)
#3 Kara Bunkers, senior (7-4, 5-2 NSIC; career – 29-14, 21-8 in NSIC)
#4 Abby Seigenthaler, senior (8-3 overall, 5-2 NSIC, 9-5 career)
#5 Kelsie Sanders, freshman (5-5 overall, 2-3 in NSIC)
#5-6 Cortney McCans, junior (4-5, 3-3 NSIC)
#6 Marie Schmitz, freshman (2-3, 0-3 NSIC)

Doubles 
#1 Simons, Bunkers (3-1 overall, 3-1 in NSIC (Simons 9-6 in career in doubles; Bunkers 40-16)
#2 Duda, Siegenthaler (2-2 overall, 2-2 in NSIC). Siegenthaler is 45-14 overall in doubles play)
#3  Cortney McCans/Marie Schmitz (2-1 NSIC, 2-1)

Also in doubles, USF's Bunkers and Seigenthaler, who have played on same tennis team since they were 7th graders, are 4-3 this season at #2. They are 24-6 in their career as a doubles team.