SIOUX FALLS -- The University of Sioux Falls Women's Tennis Team (0-1), which returns its entire starting lineup and has added some talented newcomers, will open the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference season against Winona State at 6:30 pm on Friday, Feb. 12 in Winona, Minn. USF was originally scheduled to face WSU and then Upper Iowa but will play just the one match against Winona State. Due to CoVID-19 protocols, USF and Upper Iowa will not play and try to reschedule later.

The Cougars opened the on Feb. 3 against DI South Dakota and lost, 7-0. 

However, USF Head Coach Kevin Grebin was pleased with his team's performance. "We worked hard and played strong throughout the match. We are looking forward to the opening of the season in the NSIC," he said.

USF will face a Winona State team that was pitcked to finish third in the NSIC Preseason Poll behind No. 1 Augustana and No. 2 Minnesota State Moorhead. USF stands 3-7 all-time against Winona State.  On Feb. 16, 2020, Winona State took a 7-0 decision. However, USF earned a 4-2 win in April of 2019 at Minnetonka, Minn. Prior to that WSU had won three straight from 2016-17 to 2019 by scored of 5-2, 6-3 and 9-0. In April of 2016, USF earned an 8-1 win and also had a 6-3 decision on March 27, 2015. WSU won the first three matches in the seasons with a 9-0 decision on Feb. 17, 2012 and then a 9-0 win on Feb. 2, 2013 with a 7-2 decision on March 2, 2014. 

USF has been picked to finish fifth in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Coaches Poll which was released by the league office on Tuesday, Feb. 2.  A year ago, USF, which was 8-5 before the CoVID-19 pandemic ended the season, finished 43-33 in singles with 33-15 record before the CoVID-19 pandemic ended the 2020 season. USF was also 21-17 in doubles with a 16-7 league record. USF advanced to the semifinals of the NSIC Championships in 2018-19.

With the return of nearly its entire starting lineup, the USF Tennis Team will look to achieve a top division finish in the NSIC in 2021. A year ago, USF finished with an 8-5 overall record and a 4-2 league mark before their season ended. USF returns players who combined for 83.7 percent of their single wins and 95 percent of the double wins from a year ago.

Led by an NSIC Player to Watch senior Lexi Miller (19-23 in singles, 19-21 in doubles in career) USF will be a veteran squad with five returning seniors and six total upper class student-athletes. Aside from Miller USF also look for senior Megan Quandt (15-31 – 6-3 at No. 1 - in singles, 19-26 in doubles in career), who was the 2019-20 NSIC Player to Watch, senior Joelle Thorfinnson (26-12 in singles, 25-17 in doubles in career), senior Rachel Klatt (8-8 singles, 21-17 doubles in career), junior Emily Applegate (6-3 singles, 2-6 in doubles in career), and senior Victoria Ambrosio-Cueto (7-14 singles, 7-12 doubles in career) to provide leadership. 

Others expected to contribute include sophomore Allison Eichacker (1-2 singles and 4-2 doubles in career), and sophomore Peyton Forney (2-3 singles, 4-6 doubles in career). Newcomers making an impact will include freshman Talia Janos, Danielle Thorfinnson, and Rhianna Cantine.