MARSHALL, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State University tennis team opens Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play against the University of Mary on Saturday, Feb. 12. The dual match is set to begin at 6:30 p.m. in Sioux Falls, S.D.

The series: Saturday will be the fifth meeting between SMSU and the University of Mary. The Mustangs are 3-1 all-time against the Marauders dating back to their first meeting in 1995.

Fall competition: Southwest Minnesota State competed in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Central Region Tournament earlier this season in Denver, Colo. Trisha Baldwin and Cailey Grupe advanced to the second round of doubles action in the tournament. The pair defeated Augustana's Liz Lewis and Emily Johnson, 8-2, in the first round before falling to Upper Iowa's Courtney Romer and Anastasia Dabiza, 8-5, in the second.

Last time out: SMSU opened the 2011 season last Saturday in a dual match with the University of St. Thomas. The Mustangs lost the season opener 9-0. Trisha Baldwin squared off with Madeline Gail and fell 6-4, 6-3 while Cailey Grupe lost 6-2, 6-2 to Alex Frank in singles. The doubles tandem of Baldwin/Grupe lost 8-6 in doubles to Frank and Gail of St. Thomas.

SMSU ranked in Central Region: SMSU is ranked 10th in the ITA Central Region rankings as of Nov. 9, 2010. The Mustangs are joined by NSIC foes Augustana who is ranked first, Upper Iowa (third), Winona State (fifth) and Minnesota State who is ranked seventh.

Senior leadership: Cailey Grupe and Trisha Baldwin returns as the top doubles tandem for SMSU. Grupe finished the 2010 season with a singles record of 13-9 and a doubles record of 15-7. Baldwin was 16-5 in singles matches while contributing to the 15-7 record with Grupe.

The coach: Charlie Kost enters his first season as head coach of the women's tennis program at Southwest Minnesota State. Kost takes over the reigns from George Seldat, who retired after 16 seasons as head coach. Kost comes to SMSU after having spent eight seasons (2002-10) as the head girls' tennis coach at Marshall High School.

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