SIOUX FALLS, S.D.– The South Dakota Coyotes women's tennis edged out Northern Iowa Panthers 4-3 in a tightly contested battle thanks to a winning point from Anna Medvyedyeva. 

South Dakota secured the crucial doubles point and picked up three hard-fought singles victories to outlast Northern Iowa in a match that came down to the final court. 

DOUBLES 

The Coyotes jumped in front early by claiming the doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 2. 

At the top spot, Kayleigh Didderiens and Anna Medvyedyeva controlled play in a 6-3 victory over Andjela Raznatovic and Lucia Schuknecht. Selena Bird and Ava Doddridge followed with a dominant 6-1 win at No. 2 doubles against Yangjiaxin Li and Abbie Peterson, clinching the point for USD. 

Northern Iowa responded at No. 3 doubles, where Kayla Santosa and Kanyanut Sudsaard outlasted Natalia Alves De Lima and Keta Shavishvili 7-5, but the Coyotes had already secured the early 1-0 advantage. 

SINGLES 

Bird extended the USD lead to 2-0 with a commanding 6-4, 6-1 win over Raznatovic at No. 1 singles. Medvyedyeva added another key point at No. 2, rallying from a first-set loss to defeat Schuknecht 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. 

Northern Iowa answered with wins at No. 4, No. 5 and No. 6 singles to even the team score. Andrea Noa Galin topped Cassy Marra in straight sets at No. 4, while Santosa survived a three-set thriller against Doddridge at No. 5. Peterson secured another Panther point with a straight-set win over Alves De Lima at No. 6. 

With the match tied 3-3, all eyes turned to No. 3 singles. After dropping the opening set 4-6, Didderiens stormed back to take the final two sets 6-0, 6-0 over Li, sealing the decisive fourth point and the 4-3 victory for South Dakota. 

Graduate Assistant Coach Mieke Van Deventer had this to say about the match, "I am really proud of the girls today. When the matches got tough, we kept fighting and found a way to win, which takes a lot of grit and determination. Overall, this was a great weekend for the Yotes and I am excited to see how the team keeps improving, growing and looking forward to our next match." 

The Coyotes next match is set for March 6th against Air Force in Colorado. 

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