Tennis continues busy NSIC schedule traveling to Grand Forks this Saturday

Beavers will face Sioux Falls and No. 14 Augustana

The Bemidji State University Women’s Tennis team is currently in a stretch of playing six matches over a three-week span that continues this Saturday in Grand Forks, N.D. The Beavers will face the University of Sioux Falls at 12 p.m. and No. 14 Augustana at 4 p.m. in Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference action.

Bemidji State (2-9, 1-4 NSIC) is coming off two matches this past week in Duluth. BSU played tough against Minnesota Duluth before falling by a score of 5-2. The Beavers won the doubles point and Nicoleta Anestiadi tallied a singles victory. Then against St. Cloud State, Blanca Lopez-Oro claimed the singles win as the Beavers fell by a score of 6-1.

Anestiadi won her seventh singles match of the year against the Bulldogs. Lopez-Oro won her fourth singles match of the year against the Huskies. Laura Burger is third on the team with three singles wins. Lily Jones, Lexi Leitner, Isabela Nelson and Emilia Sand all have a singles win on the season.

In doubles, Leitner and Burger picked up the win at No. 3 against Minnesota Duluth. Leitner leads the team with six doubles wins, two coming with Burger. Burger is now up to four doubles wins and Jones has three.

The Beavers open Saturday against the University of Sioux Falls. The Cougars are 7-4 overall and 2-3 in NSIC play. This past week they lost a close 4-3 match to the University of Mary before coming back with the 5-2 win over Minnesota State, Moorhead.

Sydney Osburn leads Sioux Falls with seven singles wins, compiling wins at No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3. Ella Hancock, Katelyn Nesheim and Emily Thinnsen all have five singles wins on the year. In doubles, Alissa Thorfinnson and Thinnsen have four wins, while Osburn, Hancock and Nesheim have three wins.

The Cougars have won the last five meetings in the series including the 5-2 win last year. Bemidji State won back in 2017 coming away with the 8-1 victory that was played in Grand Forks.

To close out Saturday, Augustana enters the week ranked 14th in the nation leading the NSIC with a 11-2 overall record and 5-0 mark in league contests. The Vikings have won three straight following a 4-3 win over Embry Riddle, they then added NSIC wins over Minnesota State, Moorhead (7-0) and UMary (5-1).

Senem Ocal and Florentia Hajigeorgiou lead the team both picking up nine singles wins. Hajigeorgiou is ranked 45th in the nation in singles play. Aleksandra Kistanova adds eight wins. Augustana has piled up an impressive 53-14 (.791) overall singles match record.

In doubles, Laura Arce Vieyra and Emily Granson have 10 wins, mostly at No. 3. Gabriela Jancikova and Kistanova have added nine wins, mostly at No. 2. As a team, Augustana is 24-13 (.649) in overall doubles match record.

The Vikings have won all 15 meetings in the series since 2006, taking the 7-0 win last year in Sioux Falls.

Following the matches this week, Bemidji State will travel back to Grand Forks on Apr. 1-2 to face the University of Mary and Minnesota State, Moorhead.