MARSHALL, Minn. - The Southwest Minnesota State University women's tennis team (12-10, 4-3 NSIC) continues Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference play this weekend with a pair of matches in Bismarck, N.D. SMSU opens the weekend on Saturday with a 5 p.m. match versus MSU Moorhead (4-9, 0-7 NSIC) and concludes the two-day trip with a 1 p.m. match on Sunday versus UMary (7-4, 6-1 NSIC). Both matches will take place at the Capital Racquet and Fitness Center.
 
SMSU, which has four NSIC matches remaining, begins the weekend tied for fourth place in the NSIC standings. The top eight teams in the final regular season standings qualify for the NSIC Tournament on April 23-24 in Sioux Falls, S.D. The Mustangs close the regular season on April 9-10 versus Minnesota Duluth and St. Cloud State in Sartell, Minn.
 
SINGLE-SEASON VICTORIES
•SMSU needs one more win to tie the 2019 team for the most victories in a single-season since moving to NCAA Division II in 1996. The overall school record for wins in a season is 20 set during the 1987 season.
 
HEAD COACH
•Jon Parker is in his third season as head coach with an overall record of 22-25, including 13-13 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. MSU MOORHEAD
•SMSU and MSUM meet for the 41^st time with SMSU leading 21-19.
•SMSU's 4-3 victory last season in Owatonna, Minn., snapped MSUM's seven-match winning streak in the series.  
 
SERIES HISTORY VS. UMARY  
•SMSU and UMary meet for the 17^th time with UMary leading 11-5.
•SMSU lost to UMary 4-3 in the regular season in 2021, but earned a 4-1 victory at the NSIC Tournament, which snapped the Marauders' 10-match winning streak in the series.  
 
SMSU NOTES
•SMSU split a pair of matches last weekend in St. Peter, Minn., earning a 5-2 win over Minnesota State, before losing to Gustavus, 7-0.
•In the win over MSU, the Mustangs would earn the doubles point taking two of three matches. Kristina Vuksanovic and Maja Louisa Harck combined for a 7-5 win at No. 2, while Roz Oye and Cora Delich cruised to a 6-0 victory at No. 3.
•In singles play, SMSU would lose at both No. 1 and No. 2, but would earn victories in the other four matches. Vuksanovic won 6-1, 7-5 at No. 3; Harck picked up a 7-6, 6-1 win at No. 4; Delich won 6-0, 6-1 at No. 5, while Faith Madikwe recorded a 6-0, 6-2 victory at No. 6.
•For the season, Cora Delich has a team-high 12 victories in singles with six at No. 5, two each at No. 2 and No. 4 and one at No. 3.
•Courtenay Leonard, Maja Louisa Harck and Daniela Poulakidas each have 11 singles victories. Leonard has six victories at No. 1, Harck has six wins at No. 3, while Poulakidas has three each at No. 5 and No. 6 and two at No. 4.  
•Abbey Agra and Joana Reis Indio both have eight victories.
•Delich and Roz Oye have combined for a team-high 12 victories in doubles play, including 5-2 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.