BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The University of Sioux Falls Women's Tennis Team, which is set to open the season on Sunday (Feb. 3) at Morningside College, has been picked to finish seventh in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Preseason Poll.

The Cougars, which had a 7-6 overall mark with a 7-4 league finish in 2021, is a veteran team with a number of talented newcomers in the fold. USF will face Morningside at 5:30 pm on Sunday. Then, USF opens the NSIC season with matches against Minnesota Duluth at 1 pm on Saturday, Feb. 12 and against St. Cloud State at 9 am on Sunday, Feb. 13 in Duluth, Minn.

In the NSIC Coaches Preseason Poll, USF is tied for seventh with Bemidji State with 60 points and just nine points from sixth and 10 from fifth place (Minnesota State).  The Vikings amassed 121 points and all 11 first place votes. Winona State was second with 102 points and the other first place vote (coaches cannot vote for their own team). 

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 2022 NSIC Women's Tennis Tournament will consist of the top eight teams in the final NSIC standings competing in a single elimination format on April 22-24 at Huether Family Match Pointe in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

Season Preview -  After recording a second straight winning season and the fifth in the DII era in 2021, University of Sioux Falls Tennis Team is focused on continuing the momentum as the 2022 season opens on Feb. 12 at Minnesota-Duluth.

USF, which was 7-4 with the No. 6 seed at the NSIC Tennis Championships a year ago, has won at least five matches in the nine tennis seasons in the NSIC. Of that total, USF has six winning NSIC records.

As the season gets underway, USF will be a deep and veteran team with numerous talented newcomers.

"We are excited for the start of the season. Our team has worked really hard and will look to continue to grow as a squad. We face a challenging schedule but are excited about our opportunities which are ahead," said USF Tennis Coach Kevin Grebin, who has led USF to a 78-73 overall mark and 54-43 NSIC record since moving to DII.

Leading the way will be USF's Player to Watch senior Joelle Thorfinnson, who will play No. 4 singles and No. 2 doubles. Thorfinnson, who was the program's first-ever CoSIDA Academic All-District VII honoree, is a three time Academic All-NSIC recipient and a three-time ITA Academic honoree. With a 33-15 career mark and 25-10 in the NSIC, Thorfinnson, along with senior Megan Quandt, has led USF Tennis to a 34-27 overall record, three NSIC Tournament appearances and a 26-13 league mark during her time at USF.

Quandt (19-11 singles, 24-33 doubles) also is a three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree. Sophomore Talia Janos (3-6 singles, 5-5 doubles) will be at No. 2 with Danielle Thorfinnson  (5-4 singles, 4-5 doubles) set at No. 3.

Several players will battle for the No. 5 and No. 6 spots as well as No. 3 doubles, including Rhianna Cantine, Peyton Forney, Emily Applegate, Brianna Holm, Katelyn Nesheim, Emily Thinnsen, Ella Schmidt and Annika Randt.