BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls Women's Tennis Team, which returns five starters to its lineup, has been picked to finish fifth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches Poll which was released by the league office on Friday.

USF received 72 total points in the poll and finished ahead of Upper Iowa (70 points) and just below Bemidji State (82). Augustana received 11-of-12 first place votes and 121 points for was the pick by the coaches to win the league. MSU Moorhead earned one first place vote and 111 points and was projected to take second with Winona State, third at 92 points and followed by BSU, Sioux Falls, and Upper Iowa.

Poll Results – 1. Augustana (11), 121; 2. MSU Moorhead (1), 111; 3. Winona State, 92; 4. Bemidji State, 82; 5. Sioux Falls, 72; 6. Upper Iowa, 70; 7. Minnesota Duluth, 64; 8. Minnesota State, 59;  9. St. Cloud State, 41; 10. U-Mary, 39; 11. Southwest Minnesota State, 29; 12. Minnesota Crookston, 12. The preseason coaches' poll is based off each coach ranking each team from 11 to 1 with the top team receiving 11 points, second 10, third 9, etc. The 2019 NSIC Women's Tennis Tournament will consist of the top eight teams in the NSIC final standings competing in a single elimination format on April 13-14 at Lifetime Fitness in Minnetonka, Minnesota. 
 

USF, which opens the season on Feb. 9-10 with league matches against MSU Moorhead and U-Mary in Bismarck, N.D., will be led by the return of "Player to Watch," Chloe Jefferies, who was the NSIC Freshman of the Year and first-team all-league a year ago.

With the return of Jefferies, a talented USF squad will look to earn a fourth NSIC Tournament bid in five years. Last year, the Cougars put together an 11-7 season. The mark by USF a year ago was the second-best in school history. Directed by USF Head Coach Kevin Grebin, the Cougars finished tied for a program-best 7-4 mark and earned the No. 6 seed in the league tournament. USF had an overall 34-32 NSIC mark in singles and 21-12 record in doubles.

Jefferies finished 14-3 overall including 10-1 in league play at No. 1 singles in 2018. She recorded 13 straight set wins in helped USF earn an NSIC postseason tournament berth for third time in four years. Jefferies closed out the 2018 season with five straight wins and recorded 11 singles wins when she lost a combined two games or fewer. Additionally, the Clive Iowa redshirt sophomore was 11-7 at No. 1 doubles.  

Junior Victoria Ambrosio-Cueto, a transfer from Walsh University, will be among the talented newcomers impacting USF's team this year. USF also returns sophomore Joelle Thorfinnson, who was 11-6 a year ago at No. 4-5 singles and had a 10-8 mark in No. 1 doubles. Sophomore Rachel Klatt had an 11-6 record at No. 3 doubles at No. 3 was 2-1 at No. 6 singles. USF also returns sophomore Lexi Miller who was 9-8 at No. 3 singles and 9-9 at No. 2 doubles. Sophomore Megan Quandt, who was 2-16 at No. 2 singles and 10-8 at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles, returns as does junior Kelsie Sanders, who was 5-9 at No. 4 singles. Sanders also was 8-5 in playing No. 3 doubles.