VERMILLION, S.D. – The South Dakota Coyote women's tennis program opens its 2026 spring season on Friday in Sioux Falls to face Mount Marty at 2:00 p.m. at the Huether Family Match Pointe Tennis Club. 

THE FALL 

The Coyotes put together a strong and encouraging fall season by consistent singles success, competitive doubles play, and promising performances under new leadership. The season opened at the Augustana Invite, where Natalia Alves De Lima set the tone by advancing to the finals of her singles bracket, while Selena Bird and Ketevan Shavishvili added key wins across singles and doubles. 

 The Coyotes continued their momentum at the Gopher Invite in Minneapolis, earning multiple wins each day of the three-day event. Strong showings from Selena Bird, Keta Shavishvili, Anna Medvyedyeva, and Kayleigh Didderiens fueled success in both singles and doubles, including several straight-set victories and hard-fought match tiebreak wins. The fall concluded at the Creighton Invite, where Bird delivered a standout performance by going undefeated in singles and capturing her bracket title. The team also found doubles success throughout the weekend and closed the tournament with additional singles victories from Shavishvili and Alves De Lima.  

Overall, the Coyotes demonstrated competitiveness throughout the fall, building a solid foundation heading into the spring season. 

NEWCOMERS TO WATCH 

South Dakota adds two international freshmen to its roster this spring in Ava Doddridge and Cassy Marra, both of whom bring strong competitive backgrounds and valuable experience to the Coyotes' lineup. 

Doddridge arrives from Wellington, New Zealand, following a successful career at Queen Margaret College. A key contributor at the national level, she helped her team earn second- and third-place finishes at School Nationals and posted a 3–1 singles record at the 2025 championships. Doddridge also captured three regional interschool titles, showcasing consistency and poise in match play. Her competitive résumé and all-around development position her to make an immediate impact as she transitions to collegiate tennis. 

Marra joins the Coyotes from Morcote, Ticino, Switzerland, after training at the Scuola Professionale per Sportivi D'élite (SPSE), an institution dedicated to developing elite student-athletes. With a strong international background, Marra adds depth and versatility to South Dakota's roster as she continues to grow at the collegiate level. 

Live stats will be available for Friday's match as well as a live stream. Follow @SDCoyotesTennis on X (Formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook for more content. 

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