MATCH NOTES
TEMPE – After a fall season packed with action and an early-year tune-up against some of the best competition the NCAA has to offer at the Michigan Invitational, the Sun Devil women's tennis team returns to the friendly confines of Whiteman Tennis Center to host a familiar foe in Northern Arizona.
The Sun Devils and Lumberjacks have met 13 times since 2003, all in Tempe, and ASU has gone a perfect 21-0 against NAU since the programs' first meeting.
"The start of the dual match season is always a lot of fun for the players and the coaches," head coach Sheila McInerney said.
Saturday's action will mark the first dual match of the 2018 season for both squads, and the first dual match for several ASU newcomers, including Lauryn John-Baptiste, who comes into the weekend with the team's best singles record after a 3-0 run in Ann Arbor.
"Hopefully Lauryn picked up some confidence from last weekend," McInerney said. "Last weekend was indoors, and she likes to play indoors, so this weekend will be a different setting. But we still expect her and the others to compete hard and good things will happen."
The Sun Devils' "super six" will feature several new and young faces with just one senior expected to take to the court in Nicole Fossa Huergo.
"We're a little short-handed without Kelley and Sammi, but no one is going to feel sorry for us, so we just have to go out there and play well," McInerney said. "We've got six good players and if we stay healthy, we'll be OK."
The action in Tempe begins at noon MST at the Whiteman Tennis Center. Entrance to the match is free and live results will be available on thesundevils.statbroadcast.com.
Rankings Update
The Arizona State Sun Devils came in at No. 24 in the ITA's latest poll, holding firm for the second-straight week despite a tough slate at the Michigan Invitational.
The Devils are currently the fourth-highest ranked program in the Pac-12 behind No. 1 Stanford, 11th-ranked Cal and No. 17 UCLA.
Individually, the Sun Devils have two women ranked in the ITA top-125 with Savannah Slaysman leading the charge at No. 83. Senior Kelley Anderson checked in 10 spots later at No. 93.
Both of ASU's ranked women will hold their places until the next singles update in February, but they could be joined by another Sun Devil in the next release as true freshman Lauryn John-Baptiste has gotten off to a scorching start this spring, topping two ranked opponents and going 3-0 at the Michigan Invitational a week ago.
The Road to 500
Sun Devil head coach and American tennis legend Sheila McInerney has been the epitome of consistency and success, having made 30-straight NCAA tournaments, all while at ASU.
She is the joint-longest tenured coach in school history, and is closing in on yet another career milestone with the Sun Devils: 500 career wins.
The stellar record can be attributed to a consistent run of 12-straight seasons with records above .500, and only two losing seasons since she was handed the reigns in 1985.
McInerney enters 2018 with 495 dual match wins, winning 63 percent of her matches since 1985. She is currently sixth on the list for most wins by a coach in ASU history, and 14 wins away from the top-five.
Dynamic Duos
The fall season saw the Sun Devils soar in doubles play as they won 15 matches and lost only six, including three-straight wins at the Thunderbird Invitational in November.
With an impressive resume of doubles wins, the ITA and the nation took notice and put three Sun Devil pairings into the preseason top-30 poll.
The veteran duo of Nicole Fossa Huergo and Kelley Anderson earned the highest ranking of the trio, coming in at No. 26, and two pairings that include sophomore Savannah Slaysman came in at 28 and 32.
Slaysman and Tereza Kolarova debuted at No. 28, and Slaysman and Sasa Klanecek slotted in at No. 32.
TEMPE – After a fall season packed with action and an early-year tune-up against some of the best competition the NCAA has to offer at the Michigan Invitational, the Sun Devil women's tennis team returns to the friendly confines of Whiteman Tennis Center to host a familiar foe in Northern Arizona.
The Sun Devils and Lumberjacks have met 13 times since 2003, all in Tempe, and ASU has gone a perfect 21-0 against NAU since the programs' first meeting.
"The start of the dual match season is always a lot of fun for the players and the coaches," head coach Sheila McInerney said.
Saturday's action will mark the first dual match of the 2018 season for both squads, and the first dual match for several ASU newcomers, including Lauryn John-Baptiste, who comes into the weekend with the team's best singles record after a 3-0 run in Ann Arbor.
"Hopefully Lauryn picked up some confidence from last weekend," McInerney said. "Last weekend was indoors, and she likes to play indoors, so this weekend will be a different setting. But we still expect her and the others to compete hard and good things will happen."
The Sun Devils' "super six" will feature several new and young faces with just one senior expected to take to the court in Nicole Fossa Huergo.
"We're a little short-handed without Kelley and Sammi, but no one is going to feel sorry for us, so we just have to go out there and play well," McInerney said. "We've got six good players and if we stay healthy, we'll be OK."
The action in Tempe begins at noon MST at the Whiteman Tennis Center. Entrance to the match is free and live results will be available on thesundevils.statbroadcast.com.
Rankings Update
The Arizona State Sun Devils came in at No. 24 in the ITA's latest poll, holding firm for the second-straight week despite a tough slate at the Michigan Invitational.
The Devils are currently the fourth-highest ranked program in the Pac-12 behind No. 1 Stanford, 11th-ranked Cal and No. 17 UCLA.
Individually, the Sun Devils have two women ranked in the ITA top-125 with Savannah Slaysman leading the charge at No. 83. Senior Kelley Anderson checked in 10 spots later at No. 93.
Both of ASU's ranked women will hold their places until the next singles update in February, but they could be joined by another Sun Devil in the next release as true freshman Lauryn John-Baptiste has gotten off to a scorching start this spring, topping two ranked opponents and going 3-0 at the Michigan Invitational a week ago.
The Road to 500
Sun Devil head coach and American tennis legend Sheila McInerney has been the epitome of consistency and success, having made 30-straight NCAA tournaments, all while at ASU.
She is the joint-longest tenured coach in school history, and is closing in on yet another career milestone with the Sun Devils: 500 career wins.
The stellar record can be attributed to a consistent run of 12-straight seasons with records above .500, and only two losing seasons since she was handed the reigns in 1985.
McInerney enters 2018 with 495 dual match wins, winning 63 percent of her matches since 1985. She is currently sixth on the list for most wins by a coach in ASU history, and 14 wins away from the top-five.
Dynamic Duos
The fall season saw the Sun Devils soar in doubles play as they won 15 matches and lost only six, including three-straight wins at the Thunderbird Invitational in November.
With an impressive resume of doubles wins, the ITA and the nation took notice and put three Sun Devil pairings into the preseason top-30 poll.
The veteran duo of Nicole Fossa Huergo and Kelley Anderson earned the highest ranking of the trio, coming in at No. 26, and two pairings that include sophomore Savannah Slaysman came in at 28 and 32.
Slaysman and Tereza Kolarova debuted at No. 28, and Slaysman and Sasa Klanecek slotted in at No. 32.