MARSHALL, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State University women's tennis team (9-4, 3-3 NSIC) takes a break from Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play during the next two weeks with seven non-conference matches.     
 
This week, SMSU will play at Northwest Missouri State (4-2, 3-1 NSIC) in Maryville at 2 p.m. before taking on Missouri Western State (5-4, 2-2 NSIC) at 12 p.m. on Friday in St. Joseph. SMSU will then play three matches in California during spring break. The Mustangs play at Concordia University (Calif.) in Irvine on March 9 and take on William Jessup (Calif.) and Azusa Pacific (Calif.) on March 11 in Azusa.
 
SMSU will conclude non-conference play with two matches in Kearney, Neb. The Mustangs will play Doane (Neb.) on March 18 and Nebraska-Kearney on March 19.
 
            HEAD COACH
•Jon Parker is in his third season as head coach with an overall record of 19-19, including 12-13 in NSIC matches.
•The 10^th 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. NW MISSOURI STATE
•SMSU and NWMSU meet for the third time with each team winning once.
•NWMSU won last season's match 7-0.  
 
            SERIES HISTORY VS. MISSOURI WESTERN STATE      
•SMSU and MWSU meet for the fifth time with MWSU leading 4-0.
•MWSU won last season's meeting by a score of 7-0.
 
            SMSU NOTES
•SMSU lost two NSIC matches last weekend in St. Peter, Minn., losing to Winona State, 6-1, and 4-3 to Upper Iowa.
•Cora Delich earned SMSU's only point versus WSU with a 6-1, 6-1 victory at No. 5 singles.
•In the loss to UIU, Courtenay Leonard (No. 1), Maja Louisa Harck (No. 5) and Daniel Poulakidas (No. 6) all picked-up victories.
•Delich and Roz Oye earned a win at No. 3 doubles
•Joana Reis Indio, Maja Louisa Harck, Poulakidas, Delich, and Leonard all have eight victories in singles play.
•Delich and Roz Oye have combined for eight victories in doubles play, including 4-2 in NSIC play.
 
            LOOKING TO KEEP ITS WINNING WAYS
•SMSU had one of its most successful seasons in nearly 15 years in 2021, closing with a 9-8 overall record, including 8-3 in NSIC play.
•The third-place NSIC regular season finish was the program's highest since 2008, while the semifinal appearance in the league tournament was its first since the 2009 season.
•SMSU's winning record was just its third since the 1998 season.
 
            2022 PRESEASON NSIC POLL
•SMSU was picked to finish fourth 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 2022 season marks the 45th 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 11^th in 1990. SMSU also finished 12^th in 1989, 13^th in 1988, 14^th in 1992, 16^th in 1991, 17^th in both 1984 and 1985 and 19^th in 1987.