SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Minnesota State tennis blanked Sioux Falls 4-0 Saturday at Heuther Match Pointe in the NSIC Tournament Semifinals to advance to the championship match for a third straight season.
 
The Mavericks took the team doubles point to start the match. Freia Lawrence and Avery Stilwell defeated Chloe Siegfort and Sofiya Janos 6-1 at No. 1 and McKenna DeMarce and Elizabeth Felderman handled Ella Hancock and Sydney Osburn 6-3 at No. 2.
 
Then Lawrence dropped just two games in singles and was the first to finish in the top position after defeating Siegfort 6-0, 6-2. Next was Felderman at No. 5, winning 6-2, 6-3 over Emily Thinnsen. Sutton Julsrud picked up the clinching point at No. 6 with a comeback from a set down, 0-6, 6-4, 6-4 over Jaelyn Haler.
 
"I think the energy helped us a ton and it really got us fired up," Julsrud said. "I'm really excited to get a chance to play in the championship tomorrow. We have been together, working hard for the entire season to get to this point. We are a super close group, and it's really a family atmosphere. There's no one else I'd rather be playing with."
 
The Mavericks (12-3, 8-1 NSIC) will take on top-seed and No. 33 ranked Augustana (16-4, 9-0) Sunday at 10 a.m. for the title. The Vikings won 4-0 over MSU Moorhead in their Saturday semifinal.
 
The win for MSU marked the first postseason victory for first year head coach Matt Hokanson. The Mavericks fell to Augustana 6-1 during the regular season. The team seeks to stop Augustana's 170 match win streak against conference opponents, which dates back to 2009. MSU's last women's tennis conference championship came in 1989.
 
Prior to Saturday's semifinal, DeMarce was honored by the conference as winner of the Elite 80 award.
 
SCORES
Doubles

1. MSU (Freia Lawrence/Avery Stilwell) def. USF (Sofiya Janos/Chloe Siegfort) 6-1
2. MSU (McKenna DeMarce/Elizabeth Felderman) def. USF (Ella Hancock/Sydney Osburn) 6-3
3. MSU (Hana Minisy/Taina Cordeiro) vs. USF (Emily Thinnsen/Jaelyn Haler) 5-2 unf.

Order of finish: 1,2
 
Singles

1. MSU (Freia Lawrence) def. USF (Chloe Siegfort) 6-0, 6-2
2. MSU (Avery Stilwell) vs. USF (Sofiya Janos) 5-7, 7-5, 4-1 unf.
3. MSU (McKenna DeMarce) vs. USF (Ella Hancock) 6-7(4), 6-4, 2-1 unf.
4. MSU (Hana Minisy) vs. USF (Sydney Osburn) 5-7, 4-3 unf.
5. MSU (Elizabeth Felderman) def. USF (Emily Thinnsen) 6-2, 6-3
6. MSU (Sutton Julsrud) def. USF (Jaelyn Haler) 6-0, 6-4

Order of finish: 1,5,6