TOWSON, Md. – The Towson women's tennis team travels to George Mason and hosts Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival James Madison to begin its spring season this weekend.
The Tigers will face the Patriots on Friday, Jan. 29 at 6 p.m. at the International Country Club in Fairfax, Virginia. Towson then returns home to host the Dukes on Sunday, Jan. 31 at 12:30 p.m. at the Bare Hills Racquet Club in Baltimore, Maryland.
"The girls came back looking fit and ready to go," said head coach
Doug Neagle. "We just have to keep sharpening up our footwork and timing. Our goal this year is to be better and in the way to achieving this, become better players, teammates and better people. This is a special group of ladies that really support each other."
Towson returns to the courts after a three-month winter hiatus. The Tigers were last in action in mid-October when sophomores
Yevgeniya Shusterman and
Lucy Williams participated at the 2015 USTA/ITA Division I Atlantic Regional Championships. The duo competed in both doubles and singles play.
Williams dropped an opening round singles match but rebounded with a thrilling 7-6(1), 2-6, 10-6 consolation win over Old Dominion's Marijana Novakovic. Shusterman earned a victory in extra singles action, defeating Navy's Claudia Mackenzie 6-1, 4-6, 10-7.
"
Lucy Williams had a great fall semester and her first as team captain," said Neagle. "She's becoming a leader for us."
Shusterman led the Tigers in singles action during the fall slate with an 8-3 record. Freshman
Lucy Gloninger was impressive as she adjusted well to the collegiate pace, finishing with a 7-2 singles record and combining with junior
Sophie Lesage for six doubles wins.
"
Lucy Gloninger showed us a lot this fall in singles and doubles," commented Neagle. "Other standouts this fall include
Barbora Vasilkova who quietly picked up right where she left off last spring. She finished strong last year and seems to be heading in the same direction.
Renate van Oorschodt came back this semester looking very strong."
The Tigers' next action will be in February as they travel north for a pair of matches in Jersey City, New Jersey. Towson faces Saint Peter's on Friday, Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. before battling the University of Rhode Island in a neutral site match on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 5:30 p.m.
