MOORHEAD, Minn. -- MSU Moorhead tennis gears up for the NSIC Tennis Tournament this weekend at Huether Family Match Pointe in Sioux Falls, S.D. The fifth-seeded Dragons take on fourth-seeded UMary on Friday beginning at 4:30 p.m. 

Live video will be available at msumdragons.com. MSUM secured a spot in the postseason tournament after defeating both Bemidji State and Minnesota Crookston this past weekend. It is the second consecutive season where the Dragons have qualified for the NSIC Tournament. 

Against the Beavers, MSUM would begin doubles play with a point despite the number one team of Shaelyn Johnsonand Luzmary Diaz Castillo falling to open action. Tiannah Gu and Sophia Felderman would even the doubles results, topping Valesca Rodriguez and Lauren Rutten by a narrow 7-6 count. MSUM would capture the team point thanks to Katryna Hansenand Claire Nemmers, who earned their ninth win of the season over Julia Lindseth and Ana Lucia Ibanez (6-2). 

With the doubles point secured, MSUM would grab a dual sweep after winning all six singles bouts. Johnson and Diaz Castillo would need three sets at the number one and two positions with both dropping their first set. Both Johnson and Diaz Castillo would rally to capture back-to-back sets and the match overall. The win for Diaz Castillo is her 14th of the season. Gu would also move her singles win total to 14 after a straight sets win at number five singles (6-2, 6-4). Wrapping up the singles wins for MSUM was Hansen, Felderman and Nemmers, who looked strong in straight set victories. Felderman earned her 11th win of the season behind a 6-4, 6-0 win over Rodriguez. 

In the dual against Minnesota Crookston, MSUM would again capitalize in doubles play, securing the team point for the second time this weekend. The pairing of Luzmary Diaz Castillo and Shaelyn Johnson would secure their 15th win of the season, defeating Ariadna Solis Guals and Daniela de Lucas Rivera, 6-1. The Dragons earned the team point after Katryna Hansen and Claire Nemmers defeated Kavya Singh and Nadia Cases Mundet, 6-3. It is the duo's 10th win of the season. 

Singles action would see Johnson earn her 14th win of the season after defeating de Luca Rivera in straight sets. However, it did not come without challenge as Johnson needed a 7-2 tiebreak win in the second set to secure the match. After Diaz Castillo won via forfeit, MSUM was one team point shy of capturing the dual. At number three singles, Hansen would look sharp in the first set against Solis Guals, winning 6-4. The sophomore fell in the second set, but would fire back with a resounding 6-0 win in set three. Tiannah Gu would put the finishing touches on the dual win for the Dragons, securing a straight sets win over Blaike Zander at number five singles. 

The team of Johnson and Diaz Castillo lead the Dragon roster with 15 wins as a pair this season. The win mark is tied for the most doubles wins by a team in a single season (Emma Anderson/Julia Geske, 2019). Nemmers and Hansen are not far behind the number one pair, securing 10 wins so far this season. In singles, MSUM has four players with 10 or more wins led by Gu with 15. The junior's win total is one shy of the single-season school record held by head coach Alexis Konecne. Gu is also approaching the all-time record for singles wins, holding 36 for her career. The career record (also held by Geske) stands at 40 wins. Johnson (14), Diaz Castillo (14) and Felderman (11) are not far behind Gu while Hansen holds nine singles wins.

In total, MSUM holds 70 singles wins as a unit this season, the most since the 2019 season (78). The Dragons also bolster 35 doubles wins this season, also the most since the 2019 season (42). 

The Dragon Lineup
NSIC Tournament (records include fall competitions)

Doubles
No. 1 - Luzmary Diaz Castillo/Shaelyn Johnson (15-7)
No. 2 - Tiannah Gu/Sophia Felderman (7-10)
No. 3 - Katryna Hansen/Claire Nemmers (10-5)

Singles
No. 1 - Shaelyn Johnson (14-10)
No. 2 - Luzmary Diaz Castillo (14-7)
No. 3 - Katryna Hansen (9-13)
No. 4 - Sophia Felderman (11-10)
No. 5 - Tiannah Gu (15-6)
No. 6 - Claire Nemmers (7-11)

Alexis Konecne is in her third season as MSUM's head tennis coach.