The Peacock tennis team returned to action in the Northern Sun Conference on Saturday. Upper Iowa dropped a 5-2 decision at Winona State University to fall to 2-8 overall and 1-8 in the NSIC. The Warriors improved to 7-7 overall and 5-3 in the conference. UIU won matches at No. 1 and No. 2 singles, but  the Warriors claimed the doubles point and four singles wins to post the victory.

Winona State scored the doubles point with a 6-3 win at No. 1 when Beth Murman and Kaisey Skibba outlasted Shakhnaza Zhanatova and Maryke Badenhorst and a 6-0 win at No. 2 as Kendra Kappes and Tayla Card controlled play against Lavanya Singh and Lara Peco. UIU forfeited the third doubles match due to injury.

In singles, Zhanatova lost the first set 6-1 to Murman at No. 1, but battled back to win the second set 7-6 () and claim the tiebreaker 1-0 (13-11) to post a point for the Peacocks. Badenhorst won a tight, straight-set match over Kappes at No. 2 by a 6-4, 6-4 score. The Warriors posted wins at No. 3, 4, and 5 surrendering only three games and added a forfeit win at No. 6 to seal their victory.

Upper Iowa will return to Winona, Minn. next Saturday and Sunday for their final two NSIC duals of the season. The Peacocks will face the University of Minnesota Crookston and Bemidji State University.