MINNETONKA, Minn. – The third-seeded Winona State University Warriors suffered a first round upset to sixth-seeded Sioux Falls Cougars Saturday afternoon in the opening round of the NSIC Tournament. Sioux Falls prevailed with a 4-2 win to advance to the postseason semifinals while ending the Warriors' season.

Winona State entered the tournament on a three-match winning streak and had previously defeated Sioux Falls in regular season action, but the Warriors' season comes to an end abruptly with a record of 9-8 (8-3 NSIC). Winona State has posted a record above .500 in three straight years.

The Cougars claimed the doubles' point and earned the team win with three wins in singles' action. The final singles' match was unfinished at No. 4.

Kendra Kappes and Tayla Card cruised to a 6-0 win at Doubles No. 2 while Brooke Holloway and Faith Young dropped a close 7-5 decision. The deciding point came at No. 1 where Beth Murman and Kaisey Skibba fell in a grueling tie-breaker, 7-6 (8-6).

In singles play, No. 2 Kappes continued her winning ways with a 6-4, 6-4 triumph while Skibba earned a 6-3, 6-0 victory at No. 3. Murman, the freshman who played a No. 1 all season, put up a good fight before dropping a 6-3, 7-5 decision. Young (No. 5) suffered a 6-2, 6-2 setback and Caitlin Anderson was edge at No. 6, 6-4, 6-4.

With her singles' win, Skibba improved to 11-6 on the year while matching Card's 11-win total atop the team leaderboard this season. Kappes, who earned the NSIC's Elite 18 Award for her excellence on an off the court, closed her junior season with a record of 11-5 in singles' action.

Winona State returns each of its eight student-athletes on the roster for next season and will be poised for another strong showing in 2020. The Doubles No. 1 team of Murman and Skibba posted a 12-5 (8-3 NSIC) record in 2019.