ORLANDO, Fl.- The West Chester University women's tennis team (3-0) will put its unbeaten start to the season to the test next week in Florida with matches against Eckerd, Winona State, California (Pa.), and Slippery Rock, beginning with a Sunday morning clash at Eckerd.
Florida Slate
3/8 Eckerd 10 A.M.
3/10 Winona State 11:30 A.M.
3/11 California (Pa.) 6 P.M.
3/13 Slippery Rock 11:30 A.M.
Last Time We Saw Them
West Chester opened the season in October with three straight 4-3 victories over Chestnut Hill (10/7), Bryn Mawr (10/9), and St. Thomas Aquinas (10/21), along with a successful season debut at the ITA Atlantic Regional Championships on October 2.
Lina Kroeger is a team-best 2-0 at fifth singles, while Alex Cave,
Brigitte Gravelle, and
Delaney Tingle are all 1-1.
Ashleigh Grooms and
Felicia Manful are also 1-1 in doubles play as is the duo of Cave and Tingle heading into the Spring season.
Jumping Back In
When West Chester returns from its trip south, the team will open its northern slate on March 18 against Wilmington before visiting Goldey-Beacom on the 20
th ahead of its conference opener with Millersville on the 24
th.
Scouting the Opposition
Eckerd (4-2)
Eckerd enters the weekend at 4-2 on the year after a pair of wins over UMary and Walsh on February 26 and March 3 by 7-0 and 4-3 finals, following a 6-1 loss to Rollins on February 20. Catherine Cole is 7-5 in singles play, while Olivia Lindestaf and Laura Ullrigh are 6-2 and 6-4, respectively, including a 5-0 effort in first singles by Lindestaf. In doubles, the duo of Cole and Lindestaf is 5-7, including a 4-1 mark at first doubles, while Ullrich and Fiona Orza are also 4-5 in doubles, including a 4-1 mark at third doubles.
Winona State (4-3)
Winona State heads for Spring break at 4-3 on the year after a win over Minnesota-Duluth by a 4-3 final on February 22 for its second win in three matches and third win of the spring season after opening its slate with a 4-3 win over St. Cloud State on January 31. Clara Thoemke is a team-best 5-2 in singles play, while also teaming up with Izabel Barr to go 3-1 in second doubles, which is the top record of any doubles pairing on the team.
California (Pa.) (3-4)
After opening the season with back-to-back wins, California has won just once since, an October 10 victory at Rutgers-Camden, with losses to Millersville, West Virginia Wesleyan, and D'Youville last Sunday to open its spring season. Garance Laforet is a team-best 5-1 in singles action, while also teaming with Diletta Maria Mungo, who is 4-3 in singles action, to go a team-best 6-1 in doubles play, including a 5-2 mark at second doubles.
Slippery Rock (2-0)
The Rock opened its spring slate a pair of victories in Wexford over Frostburg State and Tiffin are playing in Invitationals throughout the Spring, including a run to the ITA Cup in doubles action in Rome, Georgia in late October. Alissia Kivi is 10-2 in singles paly, while Nicole Kempton and Amaia Balaguer Brau are 8-3 and 8-2, respectively with most of these wins coming in Tournament play. In doubles action, the duo of Kempton and Kivi are 9-7, while Nadia Rodewald and Dari Sakhanova are 9-7 and 9-1 with most of those wins coming in Tournament play as well after the duo of Kempton and Kivi advanced to the ITA Cup following a runner-up finish at the Atlantic Regional Championships in Bloomsburg in early October.
