SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- The No. 21 Augustana women's tennis team is set to compete in the NSIC tournament taking place this weekend at the Huether Family Match Pointe in Sioux Falls with the first serve slated for 2 p.m. on Friday.
The Vikings have earned the No. 1 seed in the NSIC tournament and will face the No. 8 seeded Bemidji State.
With a win Friday, the Vikings will play at 8 a.m. on Saturday in the semifinals while the NSIC Championship match is slated for noon on Saturday.
About the Vikings
Earlier this week, the Vikings made the climb up to the No. 21 spot in the Oracle/ITA Division II women's rankings. Augustana looks to capture its 10th-straight NSIC tournament championship. Last week, the Vikings claimed their 11th-straight NSIC regular-season title with their win over Southwest Minnesota State.
Augustana's has continued to be a problem within conference matches as the Vikings have only lost three times since joining the NSIC in 2008. The last loss came on April 19, 2009, a span of 129 NSIC duals In NSIC Tournament matches, the Vikings have claimed 25-straight wins.
The Viking's entire roster has a win percentage of at least 81% while going 62-0 within the conference this year and an incredible 84-13 throughout the season.
"We've had a solid season up to this point and we are looking forward to the conference tournament," Augustana head coach Marc Kurtz said. "We need to have a good week of practice and then take it one match at a time.
"I'm happy with where we are at right now but we need to continue working hard and improving in practice every day."
Freshman duo Florentia Hadjigeorgiou and three-time NSIC Player of the Week Valeriya Monko have made their presence known since arriving to Sioux Falls. When teamed in doubles the two are 14-3 this year. Monko holds a 14-2 record in No. 1 singles while Florentia holds a 12-2 record in the No. 2 slot.
About the Beavers
Bemidji State comes into the NSIC tournament holding a 4-7 conference record. The Beavers most recently dropped a contest against Sioux Falls to lock them into the No. 8 seed in the NSIC tournament.
The Beavers are led by a pair of freshmen, Sophie Groen and Shaelyn Johnson. Johnson leads the team with a record of 7-4 in the No. 2 slot, while Groen was 6-4 in BSU's No. 1 singles slot. The pair also combined to lead the Beavers and hold an 8-2 record.
--GoAugie.com--
