Women’s Tennis Opens Year Hosting Queens Friday, Travels to Texas Tech Sunday
1/18/2024 10:15:00 AM | Women's Tennis
LYNCHBURG, Va. – The Liberty women's tennis team kicks off its spring season on Friday, taking on Queens (0-2) at the Liberty Indoor Tennis Center at 2 p.m. The squad will hit the road the next day and travel to Lubbock, Texas to face Texas Tech, Sunday at 12 p.m.
The Lady Flames look to build off a successful 2023 season. Liberty secured a 17-9 record that included a monumental win at Michigan State for the program's first win over a Big Ten program. The season ended with a tough loss to No. 1 seed North Florida in the ASUN Women's Tennis Championship semifinals.
Liberty makes its Conference USA debut this season following five seasons in the Atlantic Sun. Queens joined the ASUN in 2023 as the two programs were conference foes for just one season. The two met in 2023, as Liberty came out on top 6-1 in their first and only meeting.
The Lady Flames will meet the Red Raiders for the first time in program history. Liberty holds a 2-3 record against Big 12 teams, with both victories over West Virginia (2014, 2016).
Lady Flames News & Notes
Opponent At-A-Glance
Queens
Texas Tech
The Lady Flames look to build off a successful 2023 season. Liberty secured a 17-9 record that included a monumental win at Michigan State for the program's first win over a Big Ten program. The season ended with a tough loss to No. 1 seed North Florida in the ASUN Women's Tennis Championship semifinals.
Liberty makes its Conference USA debut this season following five seasons in the Atlantic Sun. Queens joined the ASUN in 2023 as the two programs were conference foes for just one season. The two met in 2023, as Liberty came out on top 6-1 in their first and only meeting.
The Lady Flames will meet the Red Raiders for the first time in program history. Liberty holds a 2-3 record against Big 12 teams, with both victories over West Virginia (2014, 2016).
Lady Flames News & Notes
- Senior Esther Lovato looks to add onto her milestone 100th career singles win she collected in October. Lovato ended the fall season with 107 career singles wins.
- Junior Maria Juliana Parra Romero will begin the season in the No. 1 singles position. Parra Romero has made 36 appearances in the No. 1 slot with 30 victories. She played every 2023 singles match in the No. 1 slot.
- Seniors Marina Davtyan and Tiffany Nguyen, who were both ASUN All-Conference honorees a season ago, enter their final year with the program and seek to lead the team to a pinnacle year.
- Two Lady Flames, junior Priscilla Janikian and redshirt freshman Daniella O'Neill, will be making their Liberty spring season debuts after dealing with injuries in 2023.
- Liberty added two true freshmen, Sadie Daavettila and Maria Turchetto, to its spring roster.
- Head Coach Jeff Maren shuffled his coaching staff in 2023. Kylie Kuykendall and Jessica Failla-Seelig join the staff as assistant coaches, while former Lady Flame Micaela Ode Mitre joins as a student assistant coach.
Opponent At-A-Glance
Queens
- Queens finished 2023 with a 5-18 record and went 0-8 in Atlantic Sun play.
- The Royals are 0-2 in 2024 and made their season debut at home against Presbyterian, falling 6-1. Queens faced Charlotte in its second match, losing 7-0.
- Katsiaryn Tuliakova made 17 starts in the No. 1 position for Queens in 2023, securing a 9-8 record in the slot. The No. 1 position was the most successful slot for Queens with a 10-12 record.
Texas Tech
- The Red Raiders ended 2023 with a 14-11 overall record and 4-5 Big 12 mark. Texas Tech fell in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Tournament but received an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
- Texas Tech's season came to an end with a 4-1 loss to UCLA in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
- The Red Raiders picked up key victories over No. 58 Yale (4-0), No. 31 Arizona (4-0), No. 48 SMU (4-0), No. 20 Kansas (6-1) and No. 40 Baylor (4-3). Texas Tech finished 5-9 against ranked opponents.
- Texas Tech's Avelina Sayfetdinova (12-7) is likely to replace Olivia Peet (9-10) in the No. 1 singles position for the 2024 season.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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