NEW ORLEANS – Coming off a place in the Southland Conference tournament semifinals, the New Orleans Privateers women's tennis team returns five players along with three newcomers who will make their spring debut against the Loyola Wolfpack on Friday at the University Tennis Center. The match is slated for a 3 p.m. start.
Last season ended with the Privateers pulling off an upset of 2-seed Stephen F. Austin in the opening round of the conference tournament before falling short to Northwestern State. In the process,
Hafsa Laraibi became the first Privateer women's tennis player to win 20 spring matches since 2000. Laraibi along with
Soledad Calderon Arroyo are the two seniors who lead a roster with experience, continuity, and depth.
"We have great depth and on any given day, the #8 player can play with the 4, 5, and 6 player. I think they're capable of winning a championship if they perform up to their levels and keep their mindset," said Coach
Burzis Kanga.
Among the newcomers are
Trang Dao and
Brittany Johnson who debuted in the fall. Dao made it to the finals of two consecutive tournaments while Johnson had a strong performance at the Big Easy Classic, winning the consolation draw.
Paula Garriga Ullate will start her Privateer career this spring after coming over from Spain.
"It's a family. They all get along so well and that's the beauty of watching this team. All the girls they jell really well and as a coach that's what you're looking for," said Kanga.
Calderon is entering her fourth and final year with the program already with 38 career singles victories in dual play and several awards from her first three seasons on the Lakefront. Last year, Calderon won 12 matches in the spring.
Also returning is
Anja Luethi ended the season on a tear winning 10 of her last 13 singles matches in her freshman year.
Anna Segarra Rius is in the midst of her junior year after turning in an 18-5 mark in singles last season.
Yasmine Rashad finished her 2015 season at 14-8. Rashad and Laraibi have also been one of the Privateers' solid doubles pairings, finishing 12-7 in doubles last year.
Against the Wolfpack, New Orleans won last season's meeting 4-0. The Privateers will have three of their first four matches of the spring at home. The busy weekend for the women's team also includes a trip to Southern to take on the Jaguars on Saturday. Last season, the Privateers won a 4-3 nail biter over Southern.
To keep up with the latest New Orleans tennis news, follow the team on Twitter
@UNOPrivateers and
@Privateers_TN or by liking New Orleans Privateers on
Facebook.
