BURNSVILLE, Minn. – The Northern Sun Conference released its inaugural Preseason Women's Tennis Coaches' Poll this week, and the Peacocks were picked sixth overall in the league after receiving 70 points. Augustana University, the nine-time defending NSIC Champions, were picked to win the league and have won 99 consecutive NSIC regular season matches. The Vikings amassed 121 points and all 11 first place votes after going 21-4, including an 11-0 mark in the NSIC while making an appearance in the NCAA Central Region Tournament last season.
Junior
Shakhnaza Zhanatova was named Upper Iowa's Player to Watch in 2019. Zhanatova is a two-time All-NSIC performer as she earned first team honors as a sophomore and second team honors as a freshman. Zhanatova registered a record of 17-5 against NSIC opponents in singles and 13-9 versus conference foes in doubles over two seasons.
Upper Iowa's tennis team is excited to get back onto the courts in 2019 and prove that the 2018 season was just a blip on the radar. Prior to last season, the Peacocks had finished second in the Northern Sun Conference standings for three straight years. In 2018, UIU went 1-12 overall and 1-10 in the NSIC, but still boasted a pair of All-NSIC performers including returner first-teamer Zhanatova. Head Coach Leo Millet has brought in some talented newcomers to mix in with returners Zhanatova, Lavayna Singh and
Lara Peco. The newcomers include four freshman;
Maryke Badenhorst,
Deimante Krivickaite,
Meghan Klein and
Chelsea Scott.
The preseason coaches' poll is based off each coach ranking each team from 11 to 1 with the top team receiving 11 points, second 10, third 9, etc.
The 2019 NSIC Women's Tennis season gets underway on Friday, February 1. The 2019 NSIC Women's Tennis Tournament will consist of the top eight teams in the NSIC final standings competing in a single elimination format on April 13-14 at Lifetime Fitness in Minnetonka, Minnesota.
The Peacocks were to open their 2019 season against the College of Saint Benedict on Saturday, Feb. 2 in Winona, Minn, but that match has been cancelled. Upper Iowa will now jump right into conference play on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 9-10 against Minnesota State University, Mankato and Southwest Minnesota State University.
| 2019 NSIC Women's Tennis Preseason Poll |
| 1 |
Augustana (11) |
121 |
| 2 |
MSU Moorhead (1) |
111 |
| 3 |
Winona State |
92 |
| 4 |
Bemidji State |
82 |
| 5 |
Sioux Falls |
72 |
| 6 |
Upper Iowa |
70 |
| 7 |
Minnesota Duluth |
64 |
| 8 |
Minnesota State |
59 |
| 9 |
St. Cloud State |
41 |
| 10 |
University of Mary |
39 |
| 11 |
Southwest Minnesota State |
29 |
| 12 |
Minnesota Crookston |
12 |
|
first place votes in ( ) |
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NSIC Preseason Player of the Year
Kornelia Staniszewski
Sr., Opalenie, Poland / Sopocka Akademia Tenisowa
Augustana University
-Went 18-0 in No. 1 singles and ended the season ranked 14
th nationally
-Was 23-3 in No. 1 doubles
-Named NSIC Player of the Year the past three seasons
-Earned Oracle/ITA Division II All-American honors for the third consecutive season
-Eight time NSIC player of the week
-26-0 all-time in NSIC Single competition
