OWATONNA, Minn. – The Southwest Minnesota State women's tennis team opened Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play on Saturday earning a pair of victories inside the West Hills Tennis & Fitness Center.
 
SMSU, which improves to 8-1 overall, 2-0 NSIC, opened the day with a 4-3 victory over Bemidji State, before earning a 6-1 win over Minnesota Crookston.
 
In the match versus BSU, both squads won three singles matches, but SMSU earned the doubles point with two victories. SMSU's No. 2 doubles team of Maja Louisa Harck and Joana Reis Indio won 6-3, while the No. 3 team of Roz Oye and Cora Delich also earned a 6-3 victory. The Mustangs' No. 1 team of Courtenay Leonard and Kristina Vuksanovic lost by a score of 6-4.
 
In singles play, Vuksanovic picked up a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 4, with Delich earning a 6-2, 6-1 victory at No. 5 and Faith Madikwe recording a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 6.
 
Leonard suffered a tight 6-1, 2-6, 7-5 loss at No. 1 singles, Harck lost 6-0, 6-0 at No. 2, while Reis Indio dropped a 6-3, 6-3 match at No. 3.
 
In the win over UMC, the Mustangs won five of the six singles matches in straight sets. Reis Indio, Harck, Delich, Daniela Poulakidas and Abbey Agra all earned victories, while Leonard lost at No. 1.
 
In doubles play, SMSU's Reis Indio and Harck at No. 1 and Delich and Oye at No. 2, won by scores of 6-0, while Madikwe and Skylar Mendro lost 6-4.
 
SMSU returns to Owatonna next weekend to take on defending NSIC champion Augustana on Feb. 19 and Sioux Falls on Feb. 20.