SIOUX FALLS – Off to its best start in DII-program history, University of Sioux Falls Tennis Team (7-1, 5-1 NSIC), will face league-leader Augustana in an Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference match up Friday at Greatlife – Woodlake Athletic Club at 7 p.m.
USF has opened 7-1 for the first time at the NCAA DII level and recently concluded a six-game home stand with a 5-1 mark. With three straight matches victories, USF is third in the NSIC standings, one game behind Winona State and Augustana at 6-0.
The Cougars, directed by head coach
Kevin Grebin (49-45, 31-29 in NSIC), swept a pair of matches last week. Led by a sweep of doubles and singles wins by No. 1
Chloe Jefferies and No. 5 Joelle Thorfinson, the Cougars took a 5-4 win over Bemidji State. On Saturday, the Cougars won 51-of-60 contested games in rolling to a 9-0 win over Minnesota Crookston. This season, the Cougars are 29-19 overall in singles matches, including 22-14 in the NSIC. They are 18-6 in doubles with a 14-4 mark in league competition.
"We had a really strong home stand," said Grebin. "With just a loss to Minnesota Moorhead, we were able to win five league matches which puts us in third (NSIC), just a game off the pace," he said. "I like the progress of this team. They keep working hard and battling every point on the floor."
Jefferies becomes first at USF at No. 1 singles to open 8-0; Quandt earns first collegiate win at No. 2 singles
Redshirt freshman
Chloe Jefferies has opened the season 8-0 at #1 singles in a dominant run. Two weeks after she was just the second USF player in program DII history to earn NSIC Player of the Week honors, Jefferies rolled to a pair of straight-set victories. Over her last five matches, she has won 60-of-69 games contested.
Three times in six matches, Jefferies has had 6-0, 6-0 decisions and captured straight-set wins in seven of eight matches. In addition, she was 2-0 with freshman
Megan Quandt at No. 1 doubles to improve to 6-2 on the season, including 5-1 in league play. The Jefferies/Quandt tandem has recorded three consecutive victories. At No. 2 singles, Quandt picked up her first victory as a collegian with a straight-set victory against Minnesota Crookston.
Klatt moves to 2-0 in singles and 7-1 in doubles
At No. 3 singles,
Lexi Miller split a pair of matches, including winning a straight-set win against Minnesota Crookston. Miller, who stands 4-3 overall, including 4-2 in league play, has been involved in five matches decided by a tie-breaker. In doubles, she and
Joelle Thorfinnson stand 5-3 in doubles, including 4-2 in the NSIC. They swept double matches against Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston.
Sophomore
Kelsie Sanders is now 3-3 after dropping a decision against BSU. The loss dropped Sanders to 2-2 in NSIC play. At No. 3 doubles, Sanders and
Rachel Klatt moved to 5-1, including 3-1 in NSIC play after a win against Bemidji State. Sanders is now 8-9 in her career in singles.
Meanwhile Klatt picked up her second singles win at No. 6 with a straight-set decision against Minnesota Crookston. She is now 7-1 in doubles, including 5-1 in league play. Aside from her pairing at doubles with Sanders, she is 2-0 overall and 2-0 in the league with senior
Cortney McCans.
Thorfinnson opens collegiate career at 7-1
In her first collegiate season,
Joelle Thorfinnson has continued to shine at No. 5 singles after moving to 7-1, including 5-1 in the league, after wins against. BSU and Minnesota Crookston. She has recorded straight-set victories in six of her seven singles victories. She is also 5-3 in doubles, including 4-2 in conference play.
Cortney McCans, USF's only senior, is now 4-4, including 2-4 in league play. She stands 1-1 at No. 5 singles and 3-3 at No. 6 singles. McCans is also 2-0 in No. 3 doubles. Last weekend, she lost a close match against BSU but rebounded with her first 6-0, 6-0 decision of the season against UMC.
Team Notes – Cougars picked 8th in league
Overall, USF, which was picked to finish eighth in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll, has had a .500 or better record in two of the last three seasons. The Cougars have received the President's Award for Academic Excellence and earned two straight ITA All-Academic Team honors.
Opponent Breakdown – Augustana
After dropping its first match of the season to Newman, 5-4, Augustana has rebounded with nine straight wins, including six straight in league play and sit in a tie with Winona State for the league lead. AU has won 52 straight matches this season in league play. They are 34-0 in singles play and 18-0 in doubles in matches against NSIC foes.
