TOWSON, Md. – The Towson University women's tennis team opens its spring season with a pair of matches in North Carolina this weekend. The Tigers face Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) rival Elon University on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 1 p.m. Towson wraps up its weekend trip with an 11 a.m. match at North Carolina Central University on Sunday, Feb. 12.
 
Welcome Back
The Tigers return all eight student-athletes from its 2015-16 season, including three who picked up CAA honors. Juniors Nicole Shakhnazarova and Lucy Williams earned Second Team All-CAA honors while fellow junior Renate van Oorschodt was named to the conference's all-academic team.
 
Newcomers
Towson has added sophomore transfer Claire Bedi from Campbell University to its roster. Bedi played primarily at the No. 5 and No. 6 singles flights for the Camels. Bedi recorded a 2-3 singles record during fall tournament play for the Tigers.
 
Looking Back at the Fall Season
Towson (1-0) returns to the courts after a three-month winter hiatus. The Tigers were last in action at the end of October at the Fall Hokie Invitational. Sophie Lesage and Lucy Gloninger were named co-champions in the consolation Black singles flight at that invitational. Towson played one dual match during the fall season, defeating Mount St. Mary's 6-1 on Oct. 20.
 
Gloninger lead the Tigers in singles action during the fall season, posting a 7-2 overall mark. She holds a three-match win streak heading into Elon. The doubles pairing of Yevgeniya Shusterman and Lucy Williams excelled during the fall season, winning a team-best four matches in tournament play.
 
Scouting the Opponents
Elon (4-3) is looking to rebound after a 4-3 loss at Furman on Feb. 4. The Phoenix have earned sweeps in all four of its wins this spring. Alex Koniaev holds a team-best 5-1 singles record in dual matches, including a perfect 4-0 mark at the No. 5 flight. The doubles pairing of Erica Braschi and Olivia Lucas are 3-2 in dual matches this season, playing the majority of those matchups at the No. 2 flight.
 
Last season, the Pheonix reached the semifinals of the CAA Championship but fell to James Madison 4-1.
 
North Carolina Central (0-3) hosts East Carolina on Friday before welcoming the Tigers to Dr. James W. Younge Tennis Courts on Sunday. The Eagles have lost three straight matches to open the spring season, falling most recently 5-1 to Gardner-Webb. The Eagles have yet to win a singles match this season (0-17) and are 2-7 in doubles matches. The doubles pairing of Frida Cnossen and Jamie Rogers earned a doubles win at the No. 1 flight against Garnder-Webb. The No. 2 doubles pair of Lynsey Cover and Jasmine Gabriel have the Eagles' other doubles win, also coming against Garner-Webb. 
 
Up Next
Towson continues its spring season with a busy three-match weekend. The Tigers face George Washington on Feb. 17 at 1 p.m., followed by a 5 p.m. match at George Mason on Feb. 18. Towson returns home to host Villanova on Feb. 19 at 1 p.m. inside the Bare Hills Racquet & Fitness Club in Baltimore, Maryland.