MARSHALL, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State University women's tennis team (6-5, 6-1 NSIC) returns to the court on Saturday for a pair of big Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference match in Owatonna, Minn. SMSU will first take on the University of Mary (6-3, 6-3 NSIC) at 4 p.m. before facing MSU Moorhead (7-2, 7-2 NSIC) at 7 p.m. Both matches will take place at the Owatonna West Tennis Center.
            SMSU begins the weekend in second place in the NSIC standings, while MSUM is tied for third with UMary currently in fifth place.
 
HEAD COACH
•Jon Parker is in his second season as head coach with an overall record of 7-12.
•The 10th head coach in team history, Parker was named to the position on Jan. 9, 2020.
•Parker served two seasons (2017-18) as head coach at Northeastern State (Okla.), leading the Riverhawks to a 39-11 overall recording, including 18-0 in conference play, and a pair of NCAA Tournaments. He was named the 2018 MIAA Coach of the Year.
•Parker was also a successful girls' and boys' high school coach in Oklahoma and Texas.
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. UMARY
•SMSU and UMary meet for the 15^th time with UMary holding a 10-4 advantage in a series that started in 1995.
•UMary has won the last nine meetings, including 7-0 on Feb. 8, 2020, in Fargo, N.D.
•SMSU's last victory in the series came during the 2011 season.  
 
 SERIES HISTORY VS. MSU MOORHEAD
•SMSU and MSUM match-up for the 40^th time with SMSU leading 20-19.
•MSUM has won the previous seven matches, including 7-0 last season in Fargo, N.D.
•The last victory for SMSU in the series came during the 2013 season.
 
  SMSU COURT NOTES                
•SMSU last played in March 27 splitting a pair of matches in Winona, Minn., defeating Upper Iowa 5-2, before losing to Winona State by a 5-2 score.
•Maegan Flight won both matches on March 27 and is now 6-0 in NSIC matches and 7-3 overall while playing No. 1 singles.
•Maja Louisa Harck is 7-4 in singles play, including 7-0 in NSIC matches. She has played a majority at No. 5 singles, but also has victories at No. 3 and No. 4.
•For the season, Flight and Harck both have seven wins in singles play.
•Courtenay Leonard, Silvia Poulakidas and Gwendolen Sior all have five victories in singles play.
•Harck has a team-high seven victories in doubles play with five coming while teaming with Leonard.
•Kennedy Torgerson recorded her first collegiate victory versus Minnesota Crookston on Feb. 21 with a straight set win at No. 6 singles.
 
 HARCK NAMED NSIC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
•SMSU freshman Maja Louisa Harck was named the NSIC Player of the Week on Feb. 16. She is the first Mustang player to earn the award since Ashley Hoehne in 2016.
•Harck went a combined 4-0 versus Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State, winning both singles matches and teaming with Courtenay Leonard on a pair of wins at No. 2 doubles.
 
 LOOKING FOR WINNING LEAGUE RECORD
•SMSU last recorded a winning season in conference play during the 2008 season, finishing 5-2.
•The last time SMSU won four matches in conference play occurred during the 2010 season, while the last time the program recorded five league wins came in 2009.
 
 PRESEASON NSIC POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish 10th in the preseason NSIC Coaches' poll. The top eight teams in the final regular season standings qualify for the NSIC Tournament in April 23-24 in Sioux Falls, S.D.
 
 MUSTANG HISTORY
•The 2021 season marks the 44th year of intercollegiate tennis at SMSU. The program won nine straight conference championships from 1984-92 and also placed at the NAIA Championships each season from 1984-93.
•SMSU's highest finish at the NAIA Championships was 11th in 1990. SMSU also finished 12th in 1989, 13th in 1988, 14th in 1992, 16th in 1991, 17th in both 1984 and 1985 and 19th in 1987.