Women's Tennis Begins Spring Season With Pair of Road Matches

CLINTON, S.C. – The Presbyterian College women's tennis opens the 2023 slate on Saturday as PC heads to Greenwood to battle Lander at 1 p.m. The Blue Hose close out the opening weekend of the spring with an 11 a.m. first serve on the road against Clemson on Sunday morning.

MATCHDAY CENTRAL
MATCHUP: Presbyterian (1-0) at Lander (0-0)
TIME: Saturday January 21, 1 p.m.
LOCATION: Joe Cabri Tennis Center (Greenwood, S.C.)

MATCHUP: Presbyterian at Clemson (2-0)
TIME: Sunday January 22, 11 a.m.
LOCATION: Duckworth Family Tennis Facility (Clemson, S.C.)
STATS: Stat Broadcast
LIVE VIDEO: clemsontigers.com

COACH ROBERTS ON LANDER & CLEMSON MATCHES
"We are really excited to get the spring season started this weekend with two road matches. We had a great fall and the players have been training hard the last couple weeks. I know they are ready to get the season rolling!"

SCOUTING THE BEARCATS
- Lander opens the 2023 season on Saturday when the Bearcats welcome in PC to Joe Cabri Tennis Center.
- The Bearcats enter the season coming off of a 14-9 2022 season that included a 2-5 mark in Peach Belt matches.
- Emily Ineson led the Bearcats last season with 13 singles wins as Maranda Adair tallied eight victories. Roberto Armani and Chiara Gerbino tallied 11 doubles wins for Lander to lead the team last season.
- Saturday's match is the second straight season the Blue Hose and Bearcats have met with PC defeating Lander 7-0.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS
- Clemson sits at 2-0 on the season after earning a pair of 7-0 wins against College of Charleston and UNCG last weekend to kick off the Tigers 2023 campaign.
- Eleni Louka led the Tigers in the opening weekend with a pair of wins in singles including in straight-sets against College of Charleston.
- The Tigers finished the 2022 season with a 13-13 mark led by Samantha Buyckx who tallied 14 dual victories.
- Buyckx and Jenna Thompson are ranked 50th in the ITA doubles rankings from the end of the fall season.
- Clemson has taken all three prior meetings from the Blue Hose including a 6-1 victory last season in Clemson.

LAST TIME OUT
- The Presbyterian College women's tennis team recorded its first victory of the 2022-23 dual season in the fall as the Blue Hose picked up a 6-1 win over host Newberry at the Oakland Tennis Center.
- Both McKenzie Davis and Claire Giddings competed in their first collegiate duals on Wednesday afternoon for the Blue Hose.
- The match is the first dual the Blue Hose have competed in during the fall since 2014 when PC defeated Brevard 6-1 on Oct. 12, 2014.
- The Blue Hose notched a season-opening win for the first time since 2018 when PC defeated N.C. Central 7-0 on Jan. 27.

NEWCOMERS
- Presbyterian returns four players from last season's team while adding a trio of new faces to the squad for the 2022-23 season.
- Fourth year head coach Joel Roberts welcomes back junior Lucianna Piedra (Mexico City, Mexico), sophomore Madison Dennett (Palm City, Fla.), Valentina De Sousa (Caracus, Venezuela) and Claudia Sanchez (Betera, Valencia, Spain).
- Roberts also welcomes McKenzie Davis (Florence, S.C.), Varvara Nikolaeva (Suffolk, Va.) and Claire Giddings (Milton, Ga.) as the three freshman to the roster for the 22-23 season.

SPRING SLATE
- Head Coach Joel Roberts 2023 spring slate features 21 matches including 15 in non-conference beginning with the weekend's matches at Lander and Clemson.
- 12 of the 15 non-conference matches occur against teams who tallied 10+ wins during the 2022 season highlighted by three with 19 wins last year. The three teams to total 19 victories were College of Charleston, Charlotte and Long Island.
- In conference play, PC plays host to Campbell, UNC Asheville and Radford with trips to Gardner-Webb, Longwood and Charleston Southern on tap this spring.

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Players Mentioned

Madison Dennett: 5' 2"; Freshman

Valentina De Sousa: 5' 6"; Freshman

Claudia Sanchez: 5' 4"; Freshman

Lucianna Piedra: 5' 6"; Junior

McKenzie Davis: 5' 11"; Freshman

Claire Giddings: 5' 7"; Freshman

Varvara Nikolaeva: 5' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Madison Dennett
: 5' 2"; Freshman

Valentina De Sousa
: 5' 6"; Freshman

Claudia Sanchez
: 5' 4"; Freshman

Lucianna Piedra
: 5' 6"; Junior

McKenzie Davis
: 5' 11"; Freshman

Claire Giddings
: 5' 7"; Freshman

Varvara Nikolaeva
: 5' 6"; Freshman