SIOUX FALLS – The University of Sioux Falls Tennis Team (5-1, 3-1 NSIC), which has opened 5-1 for the first time at the NCAA DII level, will conclude a six-game home stand with a pair of Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches, beginning with Bemidji State (3-1, 3-1 NSIC) at 6 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24 at Huether Family Match Pointe.   The Cougars will also host Minnesota Crookston (0-4, 0-4 NSIC) on Sunday at 9 a.m.
 
The Cougars, directed by head coach Kevin Grebin (47-45, 29-29 in NSIC), split a pair of matches last week. The Cougars lost for the first time as MSU Moorhead took a 7-2 decision on Feb. 17 before rebounding with a 6-3 decision over U-Mary on Feb. 18.
 
"We have had a strong start to the season," said Grebin. "We look forward to this weekend with a couple of more home matchups against league teams. Our squad, which is young and has just one senior, continues to work hard and show progress. I am really pleased with their efforts. We just have to stay focused and intent on growing day-by-day." 
 
Jefferies becomes 1st USF student-athlete at No. 1 singles to open 6-0
Redshirt freshman Chloe Jefferies, who has opened the season 6-0 at #1 singles in a dominant run. A week after she began just the second USF player in program DII history to earn NSIC Player of the Week honors, she rolled to a pair of straight set victories. Three times in six matches, Jefferies has had 6-0, 6-0 decisions and captured straight set wins in five of six matches. In addition, she was 1-1 with freshman Megan Quandt at No. 1 singles to improve to 4-2 on the season, including 3-1 in league play. In singles Quandt lost two matches and stands 0-5 but has been involved in three tiebreakers as she gets closer to that first win. At U-Mary, she dropped a 6-1, 0-6, 7-10 decision to Kelsey Lajom.

Miller moves to 3-3 after winning thrilling decision against MSUM
At No. 3 singles,  Lexi Miller split a pair of matches, including winning a thrilling decision over MSUM's Alyssa Wolf, 1-6, 7-6 (7-3), 13-11. Miller, who stands 3-3 overall, including 3-1 in league play, has been involved in five matches decided by a tiebreaker. In doubles, she and Joelle Thorfinnson have gone 3-3 in doubles, including 2-2 in the NSIC. They split last weekend, falling 8-4 to MSUM and winning 8-5 against U-Mary.

Sophomore Kelsie Sanders is now 3-2 after dropping a decision against Ricquel Ramsbottom of MSUM. She and Rachel Klatt, who are now 4-1 at No. 3 doubles, lost to MSUM, 8-1.  She is now 8-8 in her career in singles.

Thorfinnson now sits 5-1 while Klatt grabs her first collegiate singles win
In her first collegiate season, Joelle Thorfinnson has continued to shine at No. 5 singles after moving to 5-1 following a split of matches against MSUM and U-Mary. She lost to MSUM's Alexis Konecne, 6-7 (5-7), 5-7 before defeating U-Mary's Shanna Stevenson, 6-1, 6-1. She has won straight sets in four of her five singles victories. She is also 3-3 in doubles, including 2-2 in conference play.

Cortney McCans, USF's only senior, dropped a pair of matches in falling to 3-3 on the season and 15-12 overall in her career. At #6 singles, Emma Zamora of MSU took a 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) decision over McCans. Playing No. 5 singles she fell to Cristina Bremar of U-Mary, 4-6, 7-5.  McCans also paired with Rachel Klatt at No. 3 doubles to take a 9-7 decision over Shanna Stevenson and Lisa Anderson of U-Mary.

Freshman Rachel Klatt recorded her first singles win of her collegiate career. She stopped U-Mary's Julie Donnelly, 6-3, 6-4. In doubles, she is now 5-1 on the season and in her career.
 
Team Notes – Cougars picked 8th in league
Overall, USF, which was picked to finish eighth in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll, is 21-15 in singles competition, including 14-10 in the NSIC while going 12-6 in doubles with an 8-4 league mark. The USF program, which has a .500 or better record in two of the last three seasons, has received the President's Award for Academic Excellence and earned two straight ITA All-Academic Team honors.
 
Opponent Breakdown – Bemidji State
USF's opponent on Friday, Bemidji State has opened 3-1 and 3-1 in league play.  Last weekend, they edged St. Cloud State, 5-3. The Beavers also have wins over Upper Iowa, 5-4 and Minnesota Crookston, 9-0 but fell to Winona State, 6-3.   A year ago, Bemidji State took an 8-1 decision over USF. However USF took a 6-3 decision in 2016, a 5-4 win in 2015 and a 9-0 victory in 2013 as the Cougars own a 3-1 overall edge in the series.
 
Opponent Breakdown -- UM-Crookston
On Sunday, the Cougars will host a 0-4 UMC squad, which has lost four straight in league play. So far, they have dropped 9-0 decisions to Winona State, Bemidji State and St. Cloud State and lost to Upper Iowa, 7-2. USF owns a 4-0 all-time record with the Golden Eagles, take a 5-4 decision in 2013 followed by an 8-1 win in 2015 with a pair of 9-0 decisions in both 2016 and 2017.