TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State women's tennis team will commence dual match play in Stillwater, Okla. on Saturday, Jan. 23 as one of the 15 sites for the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kick-Off Weekend.
The No. 27 Sun Devils will be hosted by No. 11 Oklahoma State along with No. 26 Northwestern and No. 32 Notre Dame at the 50,000 square foot indoor Greenwood Tennis Center.
"It's exciting to start the dual meet season and that's really what you come to college to play," said head coach Sheila McInerney. "Kids have been playing individual tournaments their whole life. In college, I always liken it to the Ryder Cup of golf -- you go from the individual tournaments to the team tournaments."
Over the last two years, ASU has seen its fair share of Northwestern and OSU, as they've split the last two meetings with the Wildcats. In last year's NCAA Team Championships, the Devils were bounced in the second round by the Cowboys, 4-3.
It's been two years since McInerney and her squad have faced Notre Dame, and the Sun Devils swept that meeting at the 2013 ITA Kick-Off Weekend 4-0.
Transitioning to an indoor tennis court after playing the fall and first winter tournament outdoors will be an adjustment for the women.
"The conditions are a little quicker indoors, sort of like playing at Coors Field in baseball, the ball travels a lot further and it's quicker," McInerney said. "The lighting is different too, so we're going to get there a couple days early to get two hits in before we play.
"Good players can play in any conditions."
ASU, who was given the 3-seed in the four-team round robin, will take on 2-seed Northwestern on Saturday at 10 a.m. MST/11 a.m. CST.
"We split with them the last two years and they're probably better than they were a year ago, and hopefully we are too," said McInerney. "The winner of this regional advances to the sweet 16 in the National Indoor Championships. We've got one of the tougher regionals."
For updates throughout the weekend, follow @SunDevilTennis on Twitter.