SIOUX FALLS – After opening 3-1 at home, the University of Sioux Falls Tennis Team (3-1, 3-1 NSIC) will travel to face St. Cloud State and Minnesota Duluth on Feb. 21-22 at the Sta-Fit Tennis Center in Sartell, Minn.

The Cougars, directed by Head Coach Kevin Grebin, will meet St. Cloud State (2-3, 2-3 NSIC) on Friday at 5:00 pm. SCSU has opened 2-3 but has wins over SMSU, 7-0, and Minnesota State, 4-3. In the all-time series, USF and SCSU is tied with four wins each. SCSU won the first matchup, 8-1, on April 6, 2013. USF has won two straight matches with a 4-0 win in 2019 in Sioux Falls and a 6-3 win at Duluth, Minn., in 2018. SCSU's last win was 6-3 in 2017 in Sioux Falls.

At 10 a.m. on Saturday, the Cougars will face Minnesota-Duluth (5-1, 3-1 NSIC), which has won three straight matches. Since a 7-0 loss to Winona State, UMD has a 4-3 win over Upper Iowa and 6-1 wins over Minnesota State and Southwest Minnesota State on Feb. 15.16. In the all-time series, USF holds a 4-3 advantage but lost a year ago, 4-2 in Sioux Falls. UMD has three straight wins over the Cougars, also win in 2017 and 2018 by 6-3 scores. From 2013-16, USF took four straight matches. In the first ever competition between the schools, USF took an 8-1 decision and won 9-0 in 2014. Then, USF won by 8-1 scores in both 2015 and 2016.
The Cougars opened the season with a 6-1 win over Bemidji State and then took a 7-0 decision over Minnesota Crookston. Last weekend, they rolled to a 5-2 win over Upper Iowa to move to 3-0 in league play before falling to Winona State, 7-0.

So far, USF is 15-9 in singles play as both No. 3 Lexi Miller and No. 4 Victoria Ambrosio-Cueto stand 2-1 so far this season. Both Chloe Jefferies, who has 25 career wins at USF, at No. 1 and Megan Quandt at No. 2 stand 1-2 on the season. Quandt lost a close one to Winona State, falling in a third set, 12-10. Freshman Peyton Forney and Allison Eichacker are both 1-0 while Emily Applegate, Tiffany Voss and Brianna Whisler also have a 1-0 mark in singles. Joelle Thorfinnson at No. 5 is 1-2 and Rachel Klatt at No. 6 stands 1-1.

In doubles, the Cougars are 7-4 overall with a 3-1 mark at both No. 1 and No. 2. Jefferies and Thorfinnson and No. 2 Forney/Quandt are 2-1 in doubles. Ambrosio-Cueto and Miller has dropped both of their matches at No. 3 doubles. Voss/Emily Applegate and Eichacker/Whisler stand 1-0 in doubles.
  
Season Review -

USF wins opener over Bemidji State, 6-1
With a dominate performance in singles and winning the doubles point, USF successfully opened the season with a 6-1 decision over Bemidji State (4-2, 2-1 NSIC) on Saturday (Feb. 8) at the Huether Family Match Pointe.  The Cougars captured wins at No. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 singles for five points and with victories at No. 1 and 2 doubles for another point, the Cougars earned the victory as they opened the season at home. 
 
At No. 1 singles, Chloe Jefferies, a two-time All-NSIC performer, rolled to a 6-0, 6-2 victory as she opened the season with a straight set victory. She earned her 25th career victory in 33 matches and now is 17-4 in league play. NSIC Player to Watch Megan Quandt, a junior, rallied to defeated Hannah Alme with a 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 (11-9) at No. 2 singles. Lexi Miller won at No. 3 when her opponent retired. At No. 4 singles, Victoria Ambrosio-Cueto dominated with a 6-1, 6-3 verdict. And, USF earned a win at No. 6 as Rachel Klatt had a 6-2, 7-6 (11-9) victory in her first match of the year. USF won at No. 1 doubles with Jefferies and Thorfinnson taking a 6-4 decision. When Quandt teamed with freshman Peyton Forney for a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles, the Cougars earned the doubles point. 

Cougars top UMC, 7-0
With wins at the top six singles spots as well as earning the doubles point, USF swept Minnesota Crookston, 7-0, in the second match of the season.

At No. 1 singles, freshman Peyton Forney earned her first-ever win in her first ever match with a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ashley Smith. The same was true for freshman Allison Eichacker who won her first-ever match at USF with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Latafale Niumeitolu. Sophomore Emily Applegate registered her second career win with a straight set 6-0, 6-0 decision over UMC's Ashley Chomyn. Both senior Tiffany Voss, who won at No. 4 singles with a straight set win, and junior Brianna Whisler, who was victorious at No. 5 singles also in straight sets, moved to 2-0 in their singles careers. Applegate and Voss earned their first doubles win by take a 6-0 decision at No. 1 doubles. Then, Eichacker and Whisler teamed up for the first time and registered a 6-0 win at No. 2 doubles to clinch the win.

Cougars top UIU, 5-2
USF moved to 3-0 overall and in league play with a 5-2 decision over Upper Iowa (2-3, 1-2 NSIC) on Feb. 15 at the Huether Family Match Pointe. The Cougars won four of the six singles matches and captured the double points with a dominant performance by the No. 1 and No. 2 doubles squads. Lexi Miller moved to 2-0 at No. 3 with her straight set wins. Victoria Ambrosio-Cueto also won in straight sets with her second win in two outings. Thorfinnson won at No. 5 to improve to 1-1 on the season. The No. 1 doubles team of Jefferies/Thorfinnson is now 2-0 as did the No. 2 doubles combo of Quandt and Forney after 6-0 verdicts.

USF falls to Winona State, 7-0
USF dropped a 7-0 decision to Winona State (3-1, 3-1 NSIC) in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action on Sunday (Feb. 16) at the Huether Family Match Pointe. The Warriors won all six singles matches and also swept the doubles competition.  At No. 2 singles, Megan Quandt split the first two sets before losing a tiebreaker, 12-10. At No. 1 doubles, Chloe Jefferies and Joelle Thorfinnson