Women's Tennis Opens Conference Tournament vs. Stephen F. Austin

VIDEOS: Laraibi/Luethi | Coach Kanga
BRACKET

NEW ORLEANS, La. – The New Orleans Privateers women's tennis team (14-10, 4-7 Southland) starts their journey in the Southland Tournament as the 7-seed when they face the 2-seed Stephen F. Austin Ladyjacks (16-6, 10-1) on Friday at the Beaumont Municipal Tennis Center. The match is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.
 
The Privateers come in having won four of their final five matches, only falling in the season finale to McNeese State in that span. New Orleans more than doubled their win total from last season after winning six matches in 2014.
 
Hafsa Laraibi and Anna Segarra Rius led the way for the back half of the Privateers rotation winning 18 and 17 matches respectively. Laraibi won eight straight matches to close the regular season and was 8-2 in conference play. Segarra won her last four matches of the season and matched Laraibi's conference win total, going 8-3.
 
The same three pairings have been used in doubles throughout the year and will be the same for the conference tournament. Laraibi and Yasmine Rashad caught fire toward the end of the year, winning eight of their last ten doubles matches at the 3 spot.
 
All six players on the roster reached double figures in wins on the season. Anja Luethi went 8-3 over her last 11 decisions to finish her first collegiate spring with a 13-10 mark. Soledad Calderon Arroyo has been at the top of the team's rotation and finished the regular season with a 12-9 mark in singles. Marta Sans has played at four different positions this spring, and has currently settled at the 3 position in the rotation.
 
Stephen F. Austin enters the conference tournament having won six of their last seven matches and closing with conference victories over Central Arkansas, Sam Houston State, and Lamar. The only loss suffered in that stretch was to 1-seed, Nicholls by a 4-3 margin on Apr. 11.
 
The Ladyjacks defeated the Privateers in the regular season meeting 5-2. Leading Stephen F. Austin this season was Malena Gordo who was 10-5 from the 1 position. Also, Vivienne Kulicke played three different positions this season and earned a record of 15-4 in the spring.
 
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