This week
No. 1-seeded Augustana (18-3) will host No. 4-seeded Colorado Mesa (18-8) in the opening round of the NCAA Championships Sunday at 3 p.m. Weather permitting, the dual will be played outdoors at Huether Tennis Centre. Sioux Empire Fitness will be used as a alternate indoor facility. Fans can view live stats
here.
NCAA Championships
The NCAA Championships is a single-elimination, 48-team tournament made up of the top teams from each region. The opening rounds of play will be hosted at 15 regional sites. The two winners from each region advance to the Sweet 16 May 16-19 in Louisville, Ky. To view the regional brackets, click
here.
Last time out
Augustana won the NSIC Tournament crown for the second-straight season with a 5-1 victory over Winona State last Sunday. The Vikings, who received a first-round bye in the conference tournament, defeated St. Cloud State 5-1 in the semifinals.
Central Region
Augustana is part of the Central Region, which is made up of teams from the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Vikings are the only team from the NSIC to advance to the region tournament. Besides Augustana, RMAC-teams Colorado Mesa, Nebraska-Kearney (17-7) and Western New Mexico (10-12) make up the field for the Central Region Tournament. UNK was selected the second seed and will host No. 3-seeded WNMU.
Championship history
Augustana has made two NCAA tournament appearances (2010 and 2011) and is 2-2 all-time in NCAA postseason competition. Last season, the Vikings beat Nebraska-Kearney 5-2 in the Central Region Tournament to advance to the round of 16--the furthest in program history. Concordia-New York handed the Vikings a 5-1 loss in the Sweet 16.
Dynamite dozen
Augustana's No. 1,
Katie Jesperson, has won 12 matches this season at her top spot. The sophomore is a dominant force on the roster, allowing opponents just two games or fewer in half of her victories.
Winning!
Hannah Gebauer and
Heather Sullivan snagged their 20th win together on the doubles court last Sunday against Winona State. The duo has just one loss on the season, which came against Division I University of Cincinnati.
Tennis ace
Michelle Wadas recorded four of the Vikings' wins during the NSIC Championship as she paired with
Katie Jesperson for two doubles victories at the No. 1 spot. The duo recorded their 14th win of the season with an 8-6 victory over Winona State's Erin Kappers and Leah Dahl. Wadas is now tied to lead the team with 18 singles wins after her two victories at the second singles flight. She made quick work of SCSU's Katie Kotschevar with a 6-3, 6-1 win and followed it up with a 6-4, 6-1 decision over Dahl.
Scouting the Mavericks
Colorado Mesa has earned a regional bid seven times in school history and 2012 marks the fourth consecutive year the Mavericks have advanced to NCAA postseason play (2002, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012). In 2011 the Mavericks hosted and defeated Winona State 5-0 to advance to the NCAA National Championships in Altamonte Springs, Fla. It marked the first time in school history the Mavericks had advanced to the NCAA Championships.
NSIC honors
Augustana has had two NSIC Players of the Week this season.
Katie Jesperson earned the honor on April 2 and
Michelle Wadas received the award on Feb. 21.
Regional rankings
Augustana remained the top seed in the Central Region rankings all season. The final regional rankings were announced during a selection show Tuesday evening on NCAA.com and determined the seedings for the region tournament.
We're back
Seven Vikings return this spring from Augustana's 2011 squad that finished 21-3 overall and advanced to the Round of 16 at the NCAA Championship, the farthest in program history. This year's squad will also be fighting to defend their Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference crown for the third-consecutive season.
Who's new
There are two fresh faces adding depth to the Vikings' 2012 roster. Grand Island, Neb., native
Jenna Helleberg and
Heather Sullivan from Mankato, Minn., are new to Augustana this season.
Coaches' corner
In 2011,
Marc Kurtz's third year as head coach of the women's team, the Vikings advanced to the NCAA round of 16 for the first time in school history. Augustana successfully defended its NSIC crown and defeated Nebraska-Kearney to earn a place on the national stage. The Vikings now have won 31consecutive conference matches, going unbeaten over the last three seasons.
