VIRGINIA, MN – The University of Mary tennis team will kick off their 2021 season against the University of Minnesota Crookston on Saturday, February 13, at 6 pm, and Bemidji State University at 9 am on Sunday, February 14, in Virginia, MN
LAST TIME THESE TEAMS MET
Last season the Marauders defeated the Golden Eagles 7-0 with no member of UMary losing a game to a UMN Crookston player. Tasha Dembo, Yusra Hegy, Kelsey Lajom, Heidi Jacobson, Julie Donnelly and Sarah Zielinski all earned victories in singles action. The Marauders claimed all three doubles matches. Tasha Dembo and Yusra Hegy claimed number one doubles 6-0. Danielle Wolf and Jamie Stoppler took number two doubles 6-0. Kelsey Lajom and Kali Askvig rounded out doubles play with a 6-0 win in number three doubles… In a highly competitive match, UMary edged Bemidji State 4-3. The Marauders swept doubles play before earning wins in one, three, and four singles to seal the deal on the win. The doubles teams of Tasha Dembo and Yusra Hegy, Jamie Stoppler and Danielle Wolf and Kali Askvig and Kelsey Lajom all were victorious. Dembo (#1 singles) Lajon (#3) and Stoppler (#4) earned singles wins.
TASHA DEMBO PLAYER TO WATCH
Tasha Dembo was named as the 2021 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Players to Watch for the Marauders as the NSIC released the preseason coaches' poll. Already a two-time member of the All-Northern Sun team and a three-time NSIC Player of the Week in her career, the Harare, Zimbabwe, native is coming off an impressive 2020 season. She finished second in #1 singles last season in the NSIC (7-1 NSIC, 9-4 overall). Dembo was 15-5 (7-3 NSIC) in 2019 and 7-2 (4-1) in 2018.
UMARY PROJECTED TO FINISH FOURTH
UMary, led by the 2019 Northern Sun Coach of the Year Vida Saliendra, is projected to finish fourth in the NSIC after having one of their most successful seasons last year. The Marauders went 9-4 overall and 7-1 in the NSIC, finishing third in the NSIC before the season was canceled due to COVID-19.
OPPO RESEARCH – UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CROOKSTON
UMN Crookston is projected to finish last in the NSIC. Crookston went 0-9 in the conference last season. Freshmen Tasha Achermann was named UMN Crookston's Player to Watch in her first season. Head Coach Krayton Nash enters his third season as the coach for the Golden Eagles.
OPPO RESEARCH – BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY
The Beavers are slotted sixth in the 2021 NSIC Coaches' Poll. Bemidji State opens 2021 looking to rebound from a seven-win, COVID-19 shortened 2020 campaign. After four consecutive 10-win seasons, the Beavers finished the 2020 campaign at 7-7 overall and 5-5 in NSIC to finished sixth in the NSIC standings. Sophie Groen is the Beavers NSIC Player to Watch. A transfer from Bonhoeffer College in the Netherlands, Groen played for TC Bakkum and Geert Koeman and has competed at multiple regional and national championships, ranking as high as 118 in the Netherlands.
ROSTER RUNDOWN
Returning players to the Marauders includes seniors Tasha Dembo, Yusra Hegy and Kelsey Lajom, juniors Kali Askvig and Jamie Stoppler, and sophomores Sarah Zielinski and Heidi Jacobson. UMary added three freshmen to the team with Ellie Schmidt, Samantha Purpura and Emily Patton.
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