Rising Jackrabbit women, men in Summit mix

It's happened rather quickly, the turnaround of the South Dakota State tennis program. In a matter of three years and three steps, the Jackrabbits have gone from non-factors to contenders in the Summit League.

First, they hired the coach. Then they landed the talent. Now they have the belief. All three elements will be put to the test this weekend at the conference meet in Denver. The SDSU women are seeded second and the men third. Both are seeking their first victories in the event. Neither are ruling out the possibility of pushing for the NCAA Division I tournament berth that goes to the team champions.

"This year, I feel like everyone's committed to winning," said sophomore Tacy Haws-Lay, who has 19 singles wins this season. "Last year, it was a little foggy. We made a big step – we did. This year, it's just up a little higher."

The SDSU women are 18-7, for the second year in a row breaking the program record for wins at the D-I level. They've beaten everybody in the conference other than newcomer No. 68-ranked Denver on the strength of a balanced and diverse lineup. The Jacks have eight players – five boast at least 17 wins and five are international imports from Brazil, New Zealand, Wales and Argentina.

"We're still young this year," third-year coach Michael Engdahl said, noting there are only two seniors on the roster. "But we're hoping the experience from last year is going to take the next step forward."

That means advancing in the Summit bracket. The women dropped a 4-0 decision in their only previous conference tournament competition.

The SDSU men are also seeking their first advancement after consecutive 4-0 defeats. But those teams didn't have the regular-season resume of this one. The Jacks are 16-7 overall – up five wins from 2013 – the most in their first decade at the D-I level. Like the women, they're balanced (four players with at least 17 wins), relatively young (no seniors) and worldly (seven from Croatia, England, Colombia and Brazil).

They'll face No. 2 Fort Wayne in the semifinals Saturday. The Mastodons beat SDSU 4-3 last month. Host Denver holds the top seed and has been ranked as high as No. 52 in the country this season.

The Pioneers are unbeaten in league play on the men's and women's side this season, going a combined 72-2 in singles and doubles matches over that span. That's a solid start to their Summit stay and possibly bad timing for an SDSU program finally on the rise. But Engdahl doesn't see it that way. The reigning conference men's coach of the year said that the Jacks don't want to back in to an NCAA bid – be it this year or down the line.

"If we keep improving, (their level) is attainable," he said of the Pioneers.

Frankly, SDSU is ahead of its own schedule. That's why belief might have been lacking at this time last year. This weekend offers an opportunity to shed that inhibitor and to keep moving forward.

"This is only our second year with the first recruiting class," said Engdahl, who was the Jacks captain as a senior in 2008. "The next challenge for us is how do we improve on this next year? We have to buckle down and work twice as hard. We love that a team like Denver is in – we want the bar set as high as it can be."

AT A GLANCE

Women: 18-7, 5-1 Summit Men: 15-7, 3-2 Summit

SUMMIT LEAGUE TOURNEY

Women: vs. IPFW/Western Illinois winner, 11 a.m. Saturday

Men: vs. IPFW, 3 p.m. Saturday