ORLANDO, FLA.  – The University of Sioux Falls Tennis Team (7-2) has a busy week  ahead with four matches in six days in Orlando, Fla., as part of the annual spring break trip. The Cougars, which has won three straight matches, will face Carnegie Mellon (10-2) at 6:30 pm Saturday (March 7) before facing Creighton (7-4) in nonconference action on Monday (March 9) at 11:30 am, Marywood College (2-0) at 12:30 pm on Tuesday March 10 and Merrimack College at 11:30 am on Wednesday, March 11.

The Cougars, directed by Head Coach Kevin Grebin, will meet Carnegie Mellon as the Cougars look to build on a 7-2 record. USF is 1-0 in nonconference matchups. USF has won three straight matches after recording a 6-1 victory over Minnesota State, 5-2 win over Gustavus Adolphus and a 7-0 verdict of Southwest Minnesota State on Feb. 28-March 1. The Cougars played matches for three days in a row for the first time this year.

Thorfinnson earns NSIC Player of the Week honors
Junior Joelle Thorfinnson of Glenwood, Minn., became the third ever USF Tennis Player to earn All-NSIC honors after going a combined 6-0 in doubles and No. 3 singles. She played at No. 2 doubles and was also 3-0. USF will play four teams that they have not previously faced.

Quick Season Look
 The Cougars opened the season with a 6-1 win over Bemidji State and then took a 7-0 decision over Minnesota Crookston. Two weeks ago, 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. Then they defeated SCSU, 6-1, and dropped a 5-2 decision to UMD two weeks ago before recording three straight wins last weekend.

USF stands 37-17 in singles play this year
So far, USF is 37-17 in singles play as No. 1 Megan Quadt, No. 2 Lexi Miller and No. 3 Joelle Thorfinnson, all juniors, are 6-2 this season. Quandt is 5-2 in lead play and has won five straight matches and all at No. 1 where she is 5-0. After a 3-0 weekend, Thorfinnson has also won five straight matches and owns five straight set wins. She is 2-0 at No. 3, 3-0 at No. 4 and 1-2 at No. 5. At No. 2, Lexi Miller is 6-2, including a 5-2 league mark. She is 4-1 at No. 2 and 2-1 at No. 3. At No. 6, Rachel Klatt has a 4-2 record (3-2 in NSIC matches). She is 1-0 at No. 4, 2-1 at No. 5 and 1-1 at No. 6. Sophomore Emily Applegate who has played No. 4-6 this year, stands 4-1. At No. 5, Victoria Ambrosio-Cueto has a 2-4 record. Seniors Tiffany Voss and junior Brianna Whisler stand 2-0. USF freshman Peyton Forney is 1-2 and freshman Allison Eichacker is 1-0 to open her collegiate career. 

Breaking down doubles
In doubles, the Cougars are 18-8 overall and 16-7 in the NSIC. At No. 1, USF is 6-3 and 7-2 at No. 2 with a 5-3 overall No. 3 doubles mark. When they have been paired Klatt and Thorfinnson own a 4-0 record at No. 2 doubles. Forney and Quandt are 3-3 in doubles wit ha 1-2 mark at No. 1 and a 2-1 record at No. 2. Coach Grebin has paired a number of teams and several stand 1-0 including Applegate/Coss, Eichacker/Whisleer, Ambrosio-Cueto/Quandt, Quandt/Thorfinnson, Eichacker/Klatt and Eichacker/Miller. Overall in doubles, Klatt is a perfect 5-0 while Thorfinnson has the most victories and stands 7-1. Eichacker is 3-1 while Quandt is 5-3. Miller is 3-3 with Applegate at 1-1 and Ambrosio/Cueto, 2-2.
     

USF signs Cantine, Janos
University of Sioux Falls Head Tennis Coach Kevin Grebin has announced the signing of two standout student-athletes in Talia Janos of Riverview, Fla., and Rhianna Cantine of Milbank, S.D., who continue their academic and athletic careers at USF. A standout from East Bay High School, Janos has had success in numerous US Tennis Association Tournaments. She also competed at several national events around the country. She is ranked No. 46 in the state of Florida. A biology major, she is the daughter of Joe and Kim Janos. A standout from Milbank, S.D., Rhianna Cantine played No. 2 singles and doubles while qualifying two straight years for the South Dakota State Tennis Tournament. A major letter winner at Milbank, she earned the "Most Dedicated Award." A four-year letter winner in tennis, she will major in psychology at USF. She is the daughter of Kevin and Miranda Cantine.

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.

Cougars drop 5-2 decision to UMD
USF received a pair of wins in singles but dropped a 5-2 decision to Minnesota Duluth in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action Feb. 22 at the Sta-Fit Center. The Cougars lost four of six singles matches and won at No. 2 doubles but dropped decision at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles.  With her win at No. 1 singles, Megan Quandt moved to 3-2 on the season and is 2-0 playing in the top singles spot. Joelle Thorfinnson earned her second straight singles win at No. 4 singles and moved to 3-2 on the season with her second straight win. In the doubles competition, Quandt and freshman Peyton Forney dropped a decision at No. 1 singles. However, USF rebounded to win at No. 2 doubles as Thorfinnson and Rachel Klatt won a 6-4 decision and now stand 2-0 on the season. At No. 3 Emily Applegate and Allison Eichacker paired in doubles for the first time but dropped a 6-2 decision.

USF turns back SCSU, 6-1
With a dominating performance, USF rolled to its fourth win in five matches with a 6-1 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference win over St. Cloud State (2-4, 2-4 NSIC) on Feb. 21 at the Sta-Fit Tennis Center. The Cougars picked up five wins in six singles matches and won all three doubles competitions for the doubles point. At No. 1 singles, junior Megan Quandt fought through and earned a win over Mirei Ichida, 6-3, 7-6 (11-13) and 1-0 (10-2) in a match that went to the tie-breaker. USF also had a standout effort at No. 2 singles as junior Lexi Miller defeated Shanna Kinney, 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 in the match. Also with singles win was Joelle Thorfinnson, Rachel Klatt and Emily Applegate at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 singles respectively. In the doubles, Quandt paired with freshman Peyton Forney to defeated Kinny/Fredrickson of SCSU, 7-6 with a 7-5 decision in the tiebreaker.  At No. 2 doubles, Thorfinnson and Klatt teamed up for a 6-1 decision and Miller/Ambrosio-Cueto had a strong outing with a 6-3 decision.

USF defeats MSU, 6-1
USF dominated singles and doubles as they picked a 6-1 NSIC win over Minnesota State on Friday (Feb. 28). The Cougars won 5-of-6 in singles competition and they also picked up the doubles point by recording wins at all three doubles spots. For the third straight match, junior Megan Quandt had a strong effort at No. 1 singles as they took a 7-5, 6-3 victory over Monika Ryan. Quandt improved to 3-0 at No. 1 and is now 4-2 overall. The Cougars, which improved to 27-15 in singles play, had a straight set win at No. 2 by Lexi Miller, who is 4-2 overall and 2-1 at the second spot. USF also won at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6. Junior Joelle Thorfinnson is now 4-2, including 3-0 at No. 4, with a straight set verdict over Lauren Goth of MSU. Junior Rachel Klatt continued her strong start to the season with a straight set win at No. 5 over Kjerstin Hall, 6-1, 6-1. She is now 3-2 overall and 2-1 at No. 5. Sophomore Emily Applegate improved to 3-0 on the season with her straight set win. In doubles, Grebin put Quandt and Ambrosio-Cueto at No. 1 and they had a 6-3 victory in their first time pairing in doubles. At No. 2 doubles, Thorfinnson and Klatt teamed up for a 6-1 win and moved to 3-0 on the year. Then Peyton Forney and Miller also teamed up at No. 3 doubles for the first time and emerged with a 6-1 victory.

USF handles Gustavus Adolphus, 5-2
USF, which was led by Megan Quandt, Lexi Miller, Joelle Thorfinnson and Rachel Klatt, rolled past Gustavus Adolphus in nonconference tennis action on Saturday (Feb. 29). The Cougars dominated in singles and upended the Gusties, 5-2, to earn a second straight win with its sixth victory in eight matches this season. With her straight set wins at No. 1, Quandt improved to 5-2 on the season and is 4-0 at the No. 1 spot. Also improving to 5-2 was Lexi Miller, who is 3-1 at No. 2 following her 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-7 tiebreaker) win today. Joelle Thorfinnson is 5-2 after a straight set win and Rachel Klatt improved to 4-2 with win at No. 4.  At No. 1 doubles, Quandt and Thorfinnson took a 6-4 victory as they played together for the first time this year. USF also won at No. 3 as Klatt and freshman Allison Eichacker took a 6-3 decision and they are now 1-0 as a tandem.

Cougars roll past SMSU, 7-0
With six wins at singles and two at doubles, USFrecorded a third straight victory after a 7-0 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference decision against Southwest Minnesota on Sunday (March 1). The Cougars were led by Megan Quandt, Lexi Miller and Joelle Thorfinnson who continued their strong play this weekend. Each of them have recorded victories in singles as USF won three matches this weekend by with 18 singles wins in 21 contested matches. At No. 1 Quandt earned her fifth straight win and moved to 6-2 by taking a 6-3, 3-6, 1-0 (10-2) win over Cora Delich. Quandt, a junior, has earned a win in the tie-breaker three times in four such matches this season.  Miller, also a junior, moved to 6-2 with her straight set win at No. 2 singles. With her third straight win, she is 4-1 at No. 2 singles and improved to 5-2 in league play. Junior Joelle Thorfinnson had a perfect week in both singles and doubles. She earned her fifth straight match win with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Cara Berkner. Thorfinnson earned her third consecutive straight set win and now has five on the season. She won 36-of-42 games played this weekend. In addition, she paired with Rachel Klatt for the second time this weekend for a doubles win as they won at No. 2, 6-1. Overall, she was 3-0 in doubles and her doubles teams, which included Klatt and Quandt, picked up 18 games in 24 contested. With a straight set win at No. 4, sophomore Emily Applegate recorded her fourth win in five singles matches this season. At No. 5, senior Tiffany Voss moved to 2-0 with a straight set, 6-0, 6-0 win over Taylor Bonestroo of SMSU.  Although USF lost the No. 1 doubles (Quandt and Peyton Forney), 7-5, USF earned the doubles point with a 6-0 win at No. 3 by Miller and freshman Allison Eichacker. As a tandem they are 1-0.