TEMPE, Ariz. – Four matches in five days is how the No. 19 Sun Devil Women's Tennis team will open the 2023 regular season, beginning with a Saturday doubleheader at the Whiteman Tennis Center.
The Sun Devils' spring season – and the 39th for head coach Sheila McInerney – commences this weekend against cross-town Grand Canyon (10 a.m.) and UCSD (3 p.m.).
Five days later, the Sun Devils will suit up once more for another twin bill on Thursday, January 19, against New Mexico State (10 a.m.) and Northern Arizona (3 p.m.) at Whiteman. Both matches were originally slated for Monday, January 16, but were shifted to later in the week given expected rain in the area.
Live results for all four matches will be available here.
Season No. 39 for the ?? starts tomorrow.#ForksUp ?? pic.twitter.com/oBS5hHw9Jb
— Arizona State Women's Tennis (@sundevilwtennis) January 13, 2023
The Sun Devils' roster largely mirrors the one they trotted out a season ago, as six of seven returned. Junior Rachel Hanford and freshman Chelsea Fontenel are set to make their Whiteman Tennis Center regular season debuts this weekend as the team's two newcomers.
Sun Devil Women's Tennis 2023 Season Preview
GRAND CANYON (Jan. 14/10 a.m.)
- The cross-town Lopes are led by first-year head coach Katarina Adamovic. She brings experience as a three-year assistant coach at Cincinnati before spending one season as an assistant coach at Missouri. Adamovic was a top 20-ranked collegiate player at a perennial powerhouse, enjoying a decorated career at Oklahoma State which included 2016 NCAA Tournament MVP honors.
- The Lopes have won back-to-back WAC regular season titles, including four of the last six.
- Senior Natasha Pueshe is the reigning WAC Player of the Year and was also a First-Team Singles and Doubles player last season. Puehse is also a Scottsdale native.
- Alongside Puehse, junior Santa Strombacha was also named to the WAC First-Team in singles and doubles.
- The Lopes were 8-10 last spring and head coach Greg Prudhomme left the program after spending 15 seasons as head coach.
UCSD (Jan. 14/3 p.m.)
- The Tritons are led by 44th-year head coach Liz LaPlante. Through her first 43 years on the La Jolla campus, LaPlante has amassed a .646 winning percentage with a 598-328 overall record.
- Under LaPlante, the Tritons have recorded winning seasons and posted double-digit win totals in all but six full-season campaigns. They've had 20 or more wins on five different occasions.
- The Tritons were just 4-17 last spring, but return both Ella Pachl and Sophie Pearson, who have earned consecutive All Big West Doubles Honorable Mention honors.
- Pachl, Pearson and Katelyn Vu were among UCSD's top three players last spring, and all are back this season.
NMSU (Jan. 19/10 a.m.)
- The Aggies are led by sixth-year head coach Emily Wang. Under Wang, NMSU captured the 2019 WAC Tournament title.
- NMSU's 11 wins last spring were the second-most in Wang's tenure.
- The Aggies were powered last spring by the doubles duo of Chloe Gavino/Lisa Zhu, but will have to regroup this spring after the departure of Gavino.
- Zhu was a team-best 14-7 in singles play last season, playing the most on Court 2.
NAU (Jan. 19/3 p.m.)
- The Lumberjacks are led by fifth-year head coach Ewa Bogusz. Under Bogusz, a two-time Big Sky Coach of the Year, NAU has appeared in three NCAA Tournaments (2019, 2021, 2022).
- Favorites in the Big Sky: The Lumberjacks were ranked No. 1 in the preseason Big Sky Conference Coaches poll for the fifth consecutive season.
- After a 12-8 season in which they were conference champions, five student-athletes return this spring.
- The Lumberjacks have captured six consecutive regular season titles and three straight tournament titles.
- Sofia Markova had a stellar freshman season last spring in which she went 13-4 and was named to the All Big Sky First Team.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Sun Devils' season-opening homestand will continue next weekend with their standalone match on Saturday, January 21, against Loyola Marymount (12 p.m.). It'll complete five of 14 home matches played at Whiteman this spring.