The Gophers women’s tennis team completed their fall season Sunday at the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Fall Invitational, performing strongly in doubles and going undefeated in singles.

Minnesota ended the weekend 12-11 in singles and 8-4 in doubles. Head coach Lois Arterberry said it was not the team’s best performance adjusting between indoor and outdoor courts, but they started to shine on the final day.

Back in October, Arterberry said the team hoped to solidify groupings as it was one of the team’s weaker areas in the past.

Arterberry said there are some pairings the coaching staff feel comfortable with and the team will spend time in the offseason focusing on doubles.

“Still need some changes with a few of the pairs, but it’s something that we’re going to work on in the next couple of weeks,” Arterberry said. “Doubles is really going to be crucial for us next year so we want to make sure that we’re really, really focusing on it.”

One double pair the Gophers used during the fall was junior Anali Kocevar and sophomore Jeselle Ante.

Minnesota secured a strong record in doubles over the weekend and the Gophers found momentum on the final day. The Gophers rattled off seven straight singles wins on Sunday.

One victory came from junior Sofia Pinto, who finished 2-1 in singles at the Invitational.

Pinto said she has been improving a lot during her time at Minnesota after spending her freshman season at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

“I feel like I am more mature on the court, and I know what to do in every type of situation,” Pinto said. “I feel better with myself on the court.”

Pinto primarily slotted in at the top doubles spot with her partner Mia Liepert last season. The pairing led the Gophers in doubles wins.

Multiple members of the Gophers represented their home countries this fall during different tournaments.

Deniz Turan played for her country Turkey earlier in the season. Kocevar represented Slovenia and won her first two qualifying matches of the ITF W15 Tournament in Lincoln, Nebraska. In the first round of the main draw, Kocevar fell to U.S. representative and former Ohio State Buckeye Kolie Allen (4-6, 5-7).

Kocevar said she played for her country before, but having a tournament in the U.S. was very exciting and special.

“The level at these tournaments is so high that it’s a great achievement even if you win a match or two,” Kocevar said.

In California, Kocevar finished 2-0 in singles at the Invitational and 2-1 in doubles with Ante.

Ante transferred to Minnesota after spending her first season at the University of Wyoming. In her only season with the Cowgirls, Ante went 17-9 in doubles. She said discipline is a point of emphasis with the Gophers, and it is something she enjoyed in her transition to Minnesota alongside her fall doubles partner in Kocevar.

“We tried really hard to stick to the plan and listen to the coaches and just be really aggressive,” Ante said. “That helped us hone in on our points and teamwork focusing on communication despite not practicing much together.”

Arterberry said Ante was a role model for her teammates and is hungry and passionate about the program.

Arterberry said she will keep the intensity up with a shortened amount of court time in the fall.

The Gopher tennis team kicks off their spring season in January 2025.