SIOUX FALLS – The University of Sioux Falls Tennis Team (5-8, 4-5 NSIC) will conclude the regular season with Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference matches against Southwest Minnesota State (13-9, 3-6 NSIC) on Saturday, March 30 at 6:30 pm, and Minnesota State (5-11, 3-5) on Sunday, March 31 at 8:30 am at the Huether Family Match Pointe. On Saturday night, USF will recognized Kelsie Sanders as part of a Senior Night ceremony prior to the start of the match with SMSU. USF Head Coach Kevin Grebin and the USF team will recognize and honor Sanders for her excellence as a teammate and student-athlete at USF.

The matches are crucial as all three teams try to position themselves to make or improve their seeding position for the NSIC Postseason Tourney on April 13-14 in Minnetonka, Minn. USF, which has advanced to three tourneys in the past four seasons, sit seventh in the league and a game behind Bemidji State (7-5, 5-4 NSIC). SMSU is ninth with a 3-6 record while Minnesota State is eighth at 3-5. BSU will travel to Winona, Minn., for matches at Winona State and vs. Upper Iowa on March 30-31. USF has a 4-1 win over Bemidji State so two wins this weekend moves the Cougars in the sixth seed.

USF, which was 1-3 on its spring break trip, also recently had a 4-0 win over SCSU on March 2 and a 4-2 setback to Minnesota Duluth on March 3.  In its series with the two opponents this weekend, the Cougars lead SMSU, 6-0, including an 8-1 win a year ago (Feb. 10, 2018). They also defeated SMSU, 7-2, in 2017 with 9-0 verdicts in 2014, 2015 and 2016 and a 7-2 victory in 2013.

A year ago, USF defeated MSU, 6-3, on Feb. 10, 2018. With that victory the Cougars improved to 3-3 all-time against the Mavericks. USF had 5-4 wins in 2014 and 2016 while MSU recorded 9-0 wins in 2017 and 2013 with a 6-3 verdict in 2015.

SMSU, which is directed by first year head coach Andrew Cobb, has won five of six matches to improve to 13-9 overall. The Mustangs, which stand 3-6 in NSIC play, defeated Minnesota State, 5-2 on March 23.  The Mustangs lost to Bemidji State, 7-0, on March 3 and defeated Minnesota-Crookston, 7-0, on March 3 in their previous matches.  SMSU's No. 1 player Cora Delich is 6-9 (8-14 overall) on the season while they also have winning records from Daniela Flores, 11-2 (No. 3-5), Gabby Potthoff, 7-3 (No. 4 and 6), Hannah Starke, 12-5 (No. 3-5) and Hanna Himmelman, 13-9 (No. 3-6).

MSU, which is directed by interim head coach Melissa Mashburn, has lost seven straight decisions and close with Augustana on March 30 and USF on March 31. MSU, which is 5-11 overall and 3-5 in league play, dropped a 5-2 decision to SMSU on March 23.  They also lost to BSU, 7-0 on March 2 and defeated Minnesota Crookston, 5-0.  Erin Streeter at No. 1 singles has the best record at 8-6. Monika Ryan at No. 2 is 7-11.

Through 13 matches, the Cougars have a 29-41 singles mark overall but stand 21-25 in league play. In doubles USF is 12-26 overall with an 11-15 NSIC mark.
  
Last time out
USF lost a closely-contested nonconference  match to Mount Holyoke (7-5), 4-3, to wrap up its spring break schedule in Orlando, Fla., on Friday, March 15. USF picked up singles win at No. 1 from Chloe Jefferies, No. 4 by Joelle Thorfinnson and No. 5 by Keslie Sanders. However, they lost at No. 2, 3 and 6 singles and dropped the doubles point as MHC prevailed. Jefferies improved to 7-4 on the season with her fifth straight-set victory in the 6-4, 6-0 win over Ayame Yazawa. The Cougars also had a singles win by Thorfinnson at No. 5. Thorfinnson, who improved to 6-4 on the season, recorded a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Annissa Anamoum. She also recorded her team-leading sixth straight-set victory. At No. 6 singles, junior Kelsie Sanders picked up a hard-fought singles win over Ciara Wang at 6-3, 6-4. She improved to 3-6 on the season with her straight-set win. 

With outstanding play in singles, USF defeated Millersville, 4-3, in their spring break trip. After the Cougars mustered a victory in just one of the three doubles matches, they rebounded with a dominant effort in singles and won four of six matches. Leading the way was redshirt sophomore Chloe Jefferies with a straight-set win over Katina Jones, 6-0, 6-0. At No. 2 singles, sophomore Megan Quandt won in straight sets over Jasmines Morris, 6-4, 6-2. USF also registered a singles win with freshman Victoria Ambrosio-Cueto at No. 4 as she defeated Corinne Grohoski, 6-3, 6-0. The Cougars also had a singles win by sophomore Joelle Thorfinnson at No. 5. Thorfinnson, who improved to 5-4 on the season, recorded a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Victoria Hanus. She also recorded her team-leading fifth straight set victory. USF also picked up a in at No. 2 doubles as Miller and Thorfinnson improved to 4-3 on the season with a 6-2 victory.

Individual Notes -- Jefferies leads USF with 7-4 mark at No. 1 singles
Redshirt sophomore Chloe Jefferies, who a year ago put together the best season by a USF Women's Tennis player in the NCAA DII era with a 14-3 mark and 10-1 in the NSIC, has had another strong season with a 7-4 mark at No. 1 singles. She is 4-3 in league play.  She stands 21-7 overall and 14-4 all-time in NSIC play in her career at USF.
 
At No. 2 singles, sophomore Megan Quandt is 5-7 and has four straight set victories this year. Against Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State, she won 24-of-26 games in singles competition as she won in straight sets. She is now 7-23 in her career and 5-14 in league play.   
 
At No. 3 singles, sophomore Lexi Miller is 1-9 on the season (1-6 in NSIC play) and now has a 10-17 overall mark with an 8-10 NSIC record. 
 
Newcomer Victoria Ambrosio-Cueto has a 3-6 singles mark at No. 4 singles. Ambrosia-Cueto, who is 2-3 in NSIC play, earned her last singles win against Upper Iowa with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Laura Peco.
 
Joelle Thorfinnson has moved to 6-4 on the season and has a 5-3 mark at No. 5 singles. She is 1-1 at No. 4. She is now 17-10 in her career in singles with a 11-6 league mark. At No. 5, she is now 12-5 with a 3-2 mark at No. 4.
 
Sophomore Kelsie Sanders is 3-6 on the season and 13-22 overall in her career. She is 6-13 in league play.  For the first time in her career, she played at No. 1 singles in USF 6-1 win over Minnesota Crookston. Sanders rolled to a straight set win at that spot.

Also for USF Tiffany Ross (No. 5 singles) and Brianna Whisler (No. 4 singles) stand 1-0 in singles. Emily Applegate is 1-1 at singles (1-0 at No. 3 and 0-1 at No. 6).  
In doubles Jefferies is now 13-13 in doubles for her career. This year she is 2-6 at No. 1 doubles.

Quandt is now 1-10 this year and 11-19 in doubles matches in her career.  Thorfinnson is now 4-5 this year and 14-13 all-time. Klatt is 2-6 this year and 14-12 in her career in doubles.  Ambrosia-Cueto is 4-5 this year and in her career in doubles.  USF's best doubles team has been Ambrosio-Cueto and Sanders who stand 4-1 at No. 3 doubles. Miller and Thorfinnson stand 3-4 at No. 2 doubles. Jefferies and Miller are 1-2 at No. 1 and Jefferies and Quandt at 1-4 at No. 1 doubles.