SIOUX FALLS, SD – Looking to remain undefeated in Northern Sun action, the University of Mary tennis team travels to Sioux Falls, SD, to challenge the University of Sioux Falls and #26 Augustana University this weekend.  

UMary (5-4, 4-0 NSIC) takes on USF on Saturday, April 6, at 7 pm and competes against AU on Sunday, April 7, at 9 am.

HOW TO WATCH
Fans can watch the games or follow the live stats at www.GoUMary.com/coverage 

THE RECORDS
Chloe Chong is 3-4 in #1 singles, 0-1 in #2 singles and 4-4 in #1 doubles competition. Chong is 3-2 in #1 singles and 3-2 in #1 doubles against NCAA Division II opponents.

Hala Hossam Awad is at 5-3 in #2 singles, 0-1 in #1 singles and 5-4 in #2 doubles competition. Against NCAA Division II opponents, Awad is 4-1 in #2 singles and 4-1 in #2 doubles.

Ilona Freitag is 4-5 in #3 singles and 4-4 in #1 doubles competition. Freitag went 4-1 in #3 singles and 3-2 in #1 doubles against Division II opponents.

Maria Estinvil is 5-4 in #4 singles and 5-4 in #2 doubles competition. Estinvil is undefeated at 5-0 against Division II opponents in #4 singles and 4-1 in #2 doubles.

Emily Needham is 4-3 in #5 singles and 2-5 in #3 doubles competition. Against Division II opponents, Needham is 4-1 in #5 singles and 2-3 in #3 doubles.

Luba Moyo is 4-3 in #6 singles, 0-2 in #5 singles and 2-5 in #3 doubles competition. Moyo is 3-1 in #6 singles and 2-3 in #3 doubles against NCAA Division II competition.

LAST WEEK
Last time out, the Marauders fell 7-0 to NCAA Division I opponent University of North Dakota. UMary rallied back to shut out the University of Minnesota Duluth 7-0.

Chloe Chong took down Shay Callaway 6-2, 6-4 in #1 singles. Hala Hossam Awad dominated in #2 singles, winning 6-0, 6-2 over Abby Johnson. Ilona Freitag defeated Carly Chaney 6-3, 6-0 in #3 singles. 

Maria Estinvil shut out Olivia Honsey 6-0, 6-0 in #4 singles. Emily Needham was victorious in #5 singles 6-2, 6-1 over Lilly Nelson. Luba Moyo won a tough battle over Brynn Chaffee 6-1, 2-6, 1-0 in #6 singles.

OPPO RESEARCH – University of Sioux Falls
USF has a 6-7 record overall and a 2-3 record in the NSIC. Freshman Sydney Osburn is 5-0 in #2 singles and 5-2 in #3 singles for the season. Freshman Ella Hancock is 4-1 in #3 singles and 5-3 in #4 singles. Junior Talia Janos competes as the Cougars #1 and has compiled a record of 2-8.

OPPO RESEARCH - Augustana University
AU is 11-3 overall and 5-0 in the Northern Sun. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association has the Vikings ranked #26 in the nation. Senior Florentia Hadjigeorgiou is 8-3 in #1 singles on the season and 4-0 against NSIC competition. Sophomore Senem Ocal is 11-2 in #2 singles and 5-0 against Northern Sun competition. Graduate Student Aleksandra Kistanova is 9-1 in #3 singles on the year.

CHLOE CHONG NAMED PLAYER TO WATCH
For the third straight year, Chloe Chong was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tennis Player to Watch for the Marauders. The junior has earned All-NSIC First Team singles honors in her first two seasons at UMary.

Chong is coming off a season where she went 6-3 in singles competition in the NSIC as she competed as the one for the Marauders. The Selangor, Malaysia, native went 7-3 in doubles competition in the conference with her partner Ilona Freitag. The duo is a two-time Second Team All-NSIC team selection in doubles competition.

NOTABLE RETURNERS
Hala Hossam Awad returns for her sophomore season after earning All-NSIC Second Team singles in her first season at UMary. The Cairo, Egypt, native went 15-1 overall and 11-0 in conference action. Awad suffered her only loss in a close match (6-1, 2-6, 1-0) against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Ilona Freitag and Emily Needham return for their third years as Marauders. Freitag went 11-5 overall and 8-3 in conference play in her second season. Freitag and Chloe Chong went 11-5 overall and 7-3 in NSIC matches in 2023, again as the Marauders number-one doubles team.

Battling past a knee injury early in her sophomore season, Needham went 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the NSIC in singles competition. She finished the year strong, winning four of her last five matches. In perhaps her biggest win of the season, Needham defeated Clara Thoemke of Winona State with the season on the line at the NSIC Tournament on April 21.

NEW FACES
The Marauders have added two scholar-athletes as Luba Moyo and Maria Estinvil look to compete in the 2024 season. Moyo transferred to UMary from Iowa Central Community College, where she graduated with an Associate of Arts and Science with honors. Estinvil transferred from Chowan University as she competed as the one during her freshman year for the Hawks.

MAARUDERS PROJECTED TO FINISH THIRD
UMary is projected to finish third in the Northern Sun, according to the 2024 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Last season, The Marauders finished third in the NSIC, going 11-6 overall and 9-2 in conference. UMary boasts a six-person lineup with four scholar-athletes returning from last year.

Augustana is projected to finish first, followed by Minnesota State University – Mankato, UMary, University of Sioux Falls, Winona State University, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, University of Minnesota Crookston, University of Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State University.

THE STAFF
Vida Saliendra returns for her 12th year as the UMary Head Tennis Coach. Saliendra has had an impressive career at the helm of Marauders Tennis, riding into 2024 on five consecutive winning seasons. The Marauders are 93-81 with Saliendra as their coach. She is joined by assistant coach Erik Porter, who is in his second season with the Marauders.

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