SIOUX FALLS, SD – In a contest that came down to the final match, the No. 7 seeded University of Sioux Falls Tennis Team (10-10) dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to No. 2 Winona State (14-3) in the quarterfinal round of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Tournament which opened Friday at the Huether Family Match Pointe.
USF had victories at No. 5 and No. 6 singles and also earned the doubles points with wins at No. 2 and No. 3. The Cougars, which led at one point, 3-1, battled throughout as they lost a pair of tiebreakers in matches at No. 1 and No 4 singles.
"This team is such a resilient group that I can't say enough about. They battled through injuries all season but they showed up today and played their hearts out," said USF Head Coach
Kevin Grebin, whose team concluded the season at 10-10. "I am so proud of this team. And, it came down to our seniors fighting for every point. Even though we came up short, it was a strong effort. Our seniors showed leadership all season and again today," he said.
In doubles, USF's No. 2 team of
Danielle Thorfinnson and
Joelle Thorfinnson earned a 7-5 victory over Sara Anderson and Beth Murman of Winona State. It was the final collegiate match that the two sisters will play together. And, they finished the year at 7-5 with a 7-4 record at No. 2 doubles.
USF also had a win at No. 3 singles as the freshman tandem of
Katelyn Nesheim and
Emily Thinnsen continued their outstanding season with a 6-3 win over Brooke Holloway and Brooke Jorgenson of WSU. Thinnsen/Nesheim finished their first year at USF with an 8-6 doubles mark which included a 7-5 record at No. 3.
At No. 1 doubles, Rachel Kelly and Rina Hiehoff of WSU defeated
Megan Quandt and
Talia Janos, 6-3. Quandt/Janoes finished the season with a 5-4 doubles record.
In singles competition, USF had a pair of wins from its two freshman.
Emily Thinnsen defeated Brooke Holloway in straight sets by a 6-1, 6-3 decision. With the victory, she finished her freshman season with a 9-9 record which included a 6-4 mark at No. 5.
At No. 6 singles,
Katelyn Nesheim earned a 6-2, 6-3 win over Brooke Jorgenson as she also earned a straight set win. In her first season with USF, Nesheim had a team-best 13-5 record and was 8-2 at No. 6 singles. In her last 10 matches, she had a team-best 6-4 record.
While WSU won the four other singles matches, USF battled tough in all of them. At No. 1 singles, which was actually the final match of the day, Kelly earned a 6-0, 7-6 (8-6) victory over
Megan Quandt, who persevered all season through a shoulder injury that could have ended her career two months ago.
"I was really proud of her," said Grebin of Quandt, who wanted to keep playing even if it meant using a soft serve approach. "She didn't have be out there but she loves her teammates and playing the game. She gave everything she had," he said.
Quant finished her senior season at 4-8. A graduate student in USF's leadership doctoral program, the Henderson, Nev., native finished her career with 23 wins in singles and 24 in doubles. She was a four-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, who was one of 11 student-athletes to earn the Myles Brand Academic for Achievement honor in 2022.
At No. 2 singles, sophomore
Talia Janos dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to Beth Murman of WSU. Janos, who also fought through injuries this season, had a 6-9 record which included 4-1 while playing No. 1 earlier this year.
SOphomore
Danielle Thorfinnson, who also fought through some injuries issues, dropped a 6-2, 6-1 decision at No. 3 singles to Rina Niehoff. Thorfinnson was 5-11 this season but was 4-5 playing No. 3.
Senior
Joelle Thorfinnson lost a 7-6 (7-4), 6-1 decision to Sara Anderson of WSU at No. 4 singles. It was Thorfinnson's final match at USF. Despite some foot injuries, she battled hard, noted Grebin.
"She was a great leader, like Megan, for this team all year," said Grebin, who also noted the other two seniors,
Emily Applegate and
Peyton Forney, who didn't play today but provided important contributions during this season and their careers at USF. "Joelle showed a lot today and gave everything she had. She and her teammates are all examples of why coaching this team has been a real joy," he said.
Thorfinnson was 7-10 this season including a 5-2 mark at No. 2. A graduate student in business administration from Glenwood, Minn., she recorded 40 wins in singles and another 36 victories in doubles in her career. A three-time Academic All-NSIC honoree, she was also named to the NSIC Academic Team of Excellence twice.
Overall, USF completed a third straight season with a .500 record or better and had double-digit wins for the third team. USF has won at least five NSIC matches in the 10 seasons in the NSIC with six .500 or better season.
