Coyotes defeat Omaha, prepare for Summit League Tournament

The Coyotes picked up a 5-2 win over Omaha on Sunday inside the Huether Family Match Pointe in Sioux Falls. This was South Dakota’s senior day where they honored five seniors Habiba Aly, Natka Kmošková, Jana Lazarevic, Anna Marija Bukina and Indy Ampaw. 

They earned the 3-seed in the upcoming Summit League Tournament.

Two of the top three flights went the Coyotes’ way. Aly won flight one against Omaha senior Madison Gallegos 6-1, 6-1. Freshman Bea Havlickova also won the third flight against Omaha freshman Keegan VanPelt 6-0, 6-1.

Kmošková (flight four) and junior Berta Girbau (flight six) won their matches 6-1, 6-2. Lazarevic fell to Omaha senior Ines Absisan in flight two, 1-6, 7-6, 10-5. Bukina lost the fifth flight to Omaha freshman Rachel Osborn 6-4, 4-6, 11-9.

USD won flights one and two in doubles play to take the point in the team competition. 

Lazarevic and Aly won flight one against Gallegos and Absisan, 6-4. Kmošková and Havlickova won flight two 6-1 and Girbau and junior Eesha Varma fell in the third flight 2-6.

With the win, the Coyotes wrap up conference play with a 5-2 record to take the third seed in the upcoming Summit League Tournament in Omaha. 

The Denver Pioneers took the one seed and the Oral Roberts Golden Eagles claimed the two seed. 

USD and Omaha were the last two teams to qualify for the conference tournament, with USD taking the three seed over Omaha with this win.

The Coyotes and Golden Eagles will play Friday at 9 a.m. in the semifinals. Oral Roberts took the regular season match with the Coyotes 4-3. 

Denver and Omaha will play following USD and Oral Roberts. The two winners will play in the Championship Saturday at noon in Omaha.