South Dakota’s women’s tennis team kicked off their fall season with a strong showing at the inaugural Bedford Cup, hosted by the Air Force Academy. This new event provided an early and rigorous test for the Coyotes, who sent seven athletes to compete. Over the course of the three-day tournament, South Dakota put together a commendable overall record of 22-16, including a notable 16-10 record in singles play and a respectable 2-2 mark from each of their three doubles teams.

The Bedford Cup, with its mix of teams from the Mountain West and Big Sky conferences, represented a significant challenge for the Coyotes. Coach Brett Barnett was pleased with his team’s performance and emphasized that the tough competition was part of his strategy to test and prepare his players for the season ahead. “The team had a great start to the season at the Bedford Cup hosted by Air Force,” Barnett said. “A goal of mine was to really challenge the team with our fall schedule and this was a loaded tournament with a few good Mountain West teams and top Big Sky teams.”

One of the primary challenges of the tournament was playing at a high altitude of 7,300 feet, which added an extra layer of difficulty to the matches. Despite these challenges, Barnett was impressed with how his players adapted and competed. “It’s a challenge always in your first event to know how you’ll play and we had the extra challenges of playing at 7,300 ft. Everyone on the team played so well and had multiple wins. We’ve been talking a lot of not backing down and playing our style of tennis and making teams adjust to us.”

Senior Grace Chadick emerged as one of the standout performers of the tournament. She reached the finals of Flight Bravo, finishing with a strong 3-1 record. Chadick’s victories included impressive wins over competitors from Idaho State, Davidson, and Air Force, showcasing her ability to compete against a range of opponents. Her run to the championship match was a highlight of the event, although she ultimately fell to Marley Lambert of Denver.

Another senior, Bea Havlickova, continued to demonstrate her prowess on the court. Havlickova, who is also a returning All-Summit League First Team selection, had a particularly strong showing. After dropping a tough match in the quarterfinals, she rallied to win the North division final title in Flight Alpha. Her victories over players from Air Force and New Mexico were particularly notable, affirming her status as one of the top players in the tournament.

Sorcha Caves, a sophomore, also performed admirably. She went 3-1 in singles play, securing a third-place finish in Flight Charley. Caves earned victories over competitors from Davidson and Colorado State, as well as a win against Montana State-Bozeman in her third-place match. Her strong performance throughout the tournament was a key factor in the Coyotes’ success.

Junior Selena Bird and sophomore Amanda de Oliveira both posted solid records of 2-1 in singles play. They faced similar challenges in the quarterfinals of Flight Bravo but managed to secure wins over Davidson and New Mexico, respectively. Despite not facing each other in the North division final, both players contributed valuable points to the team’s overall performance.

Katarina Curcic and Coco Elise Lynn-Browne also made significant contributions in their Coyote debuts. Curcic, who was competing in her first tournament for South Dakota, won her opening match against Air Force and closed out the event with a victory over Idaho State, both in straight sets. Lynn-Browne also made a strong debut, including a notable comeback win in a three-set match against Montana State-Bozeman. “It was good seeing Coco and Kat compete for the first time and pick up some good wins,” Barnett said. “Coco showed a lot of heart and fight coming from a set down and 7-1 down in a match tiebreaker to win 10-7.”

The Coyotes’ doubles teams also showed promise, with Havlickova/Chadick, Caves/de Oliveira, and Bird/Lynn-Browne each finishing with a 2-2 record. While there are areas to improve, the performance in doubles play was encouraging, and the teams showed a strong level of aggression and teamwork. Barnett acknowledged that there were some unlucky breaks but was overall positive about the doubles play. “Doubles was good, definitely things to work on but we did a nice job playing very aggressive,” he noted. “Amanda/Sorcha were a bit unlucky to not make a final but played great all weekend.”

Looking ahead, the Coyotes will return to action this coming Friday at the three-day Gopher Invite, hosted by the University of Minnesota. This upcoming tournament will provide another opportunity for South Dakota to build on their early-season performance and further develop their competitive edge.

Barnett remains optimistic about the season and encouraged by the team’s effort and heart shown at the Bedford Cup. “This team showed a lot of heart and fight and if we play like this all year it’s going to be another great season,” he said. The strong start at the Bedford Cup, coupled with the continued hard work and improvement, sets a positive tone for the remainder of the fall season and beyond.

Overall, the Coyotes’ performance at the Bedford Cup highlighted both individual talent and team cohesion. As the season progresses, the experience gained from this tournament will be invaluable in preparing for future challenges and continuing to build on the momentum established early in the fall. With a solid foundation and a strong work ethic, South Dakota women’s tennis is well-positioned for a successful season ahead.