Arizona State University Athletics

TEMPE, Ariz. – After opening the season up at the Michigan Invitational last week, Sun Devil women's tennis returns to Tempe to open the dual-match regular season with Northern Arizona on Friday, Jan. 20. The match is currently delayed from its rescheduled time of 10 a.m. until further notice due to wet courts & additional rain. Stay tuned here and via our social media for further updates.
 
Despite the change in schedule, head coach Sheila McInerney expects her No. 22 Devils to open up the season at home lively and with a lot of pizzazz. The weekend is scheduled to feature two matches in three days, as ASU welcomes UC-Davis on Sunday at 11 a.m.
 
"Continuing to have great energy, particularly in the doubles, is something I'm looking for this weekend," said McInerney. "I think we did a great job with that and I think the kids are gelling really well together. We need to keep that momentum on each court. The person playing needs to know the one next to them is playing really well with a lot of energy and passion."
 
In doubles, No. 36 Kelley Anderson and Savannah Slaysman – both new faces to this year's squad – will aim to continue their success as well from the Michigan Invitational. They finished the weekend 2-1, with their lone loss to the No. 4 pair in the country.
 
The two also had great success on the courts in singles a weekend ago, as both finished 3-0 on their respective courts.
 
Anderson joins the Devils from Baylor University, where she went 27-10 in singles and 21-7 in doubles.
 
Elsewhere in singles, senior Alex Osborne also finished the UM Invite 3-0 on court seven. Meanwhile in doubles, the 2016 Pac-12 Doubles Champion is paired up with newcomer Nicole Fossa-Huergo – a junior transfer from Division II Armstrong State – playing on court one.
 
Fossa-Huergo arrived in Tempe after back-to-back Division II Championships with Armstrong State, while holding a combined record of 42-4 in singles and 62-6 in doubles in two seasons.
 
Senior Kassidy Jump – ranked No. 63 in singles – and sophomore Sammi Hampton – ranked No. 49 in singles – enter the regular season as the only two players within the ITA preseason singles rankings. The two also pair up together for doubles, and will likely start the season where they finished -- on court three.
 
NAU enters the season ranked No. 2 in the Big Sky Preseason Poll.
 
McInerney expects to see the women rise to the occasion of regular season play and start the season off on a high note.
 
"In a game, the intensity level goes up, so you have to be willing and able to go five or six shots into the rally," said McInerney. "When we struggle, we shoot ourselves in the foot with a missed return or missing the second ball. In a match situation, you and your opponent are going to play better. The energy of competing takes it to another threshold. You have to be willing to grind it out."
 
Check here for updated information on the status of this weekend's matches.
 
Devils in Preseason Rankings:
 
Singles
No. 49 – Sammi Hampton
No. 63 – Kassidy Jump
 
Doubles
No. 36 – Kelley Anderson/Savannah Slaysman