NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers women's tennis team opens the spring season with three matches in as many days. The Privateers will face Southern Miss on Friday, Florida A&M on Saturday, and close against Jacksonville State on Sunday.
The team enters the season with five players returning off a team that battled injuries and being short-handed toward the end of the year while finishing at 6-12 overall and 3-9 in Southland play. By the end of the season, the Privateers had just four active players due to injuries.
Soledad Calderon Arroyo leads a host of returners. Calderon led the team in wins during each of her first two collegiate seasons and posted a 12-6 mark last year. Calderon was an All-LSWA selection and was also named All-Southland second team in singles and doubles.
Marta Sans is the lone senior on the team and partnered with Calderon to earn All-Conference recognition in doubles. Sans was 10-7 in doubles overall and 8-5 while teamed up with Calderon. Sans has won 25 singles matches in her three seasons to date in New Orleans.
Also among those returning is
Anna Segarra Rius who had a strong start to her freshman campaign. Rius won her first 10 singles matches of the spring before a foot injury ended her season early. Rius played mostly at the 3 and 4 position last season.
Hafsa Laraibi and
Yasmine Rashad each had strong showings both individually and as a doubles team at the Big Easy Classic. Laraibi made it to the Flight 3 singles finals while Laraibi and Rashad teamed up to take the doubles bracket in New Orleans.
Anja Luethi will make her spring debut after redshirting last season. Luethi won two matches in New Orleans in singles while being placed in Flight 1.
Jacksonville State's women's team comes off a 9-14 finish last year and an even mark at 5-5 in conference. Florida A&M finished 6-13 overall and 4-2 in the MEAC. Southern Miss racked up 15 total wins in their spring opener at the FGCU Invitational.
All three matches will take place at 2 p.m. at the Southern Miss Tennis Courts.
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