ORLANDO, FL - The University of Mary tennis team (5-1, 5-1 Northern Sun) is set to compete in four games in five days over spring break in Orlando, FL. UMary challenges Davenport University on Tuesday, March 1, at 6:30 pm and follows that by competing against Eckerd College on Wednesday, March 2, at 7 am. The Marauders play against Oakland University on Thursday, March 3, at 2 pm. After a day off, UMary takes on Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday, Match 5.

Last Time Out
UMary split their games last weekend, defeating the University of Sioux Falls (5-2) before falling to #16 Augustana University (6-1).

Doaa Farouk Mohamed went 2-0 in number three singles against USF and AU. Mohamed remains undefeated in singles competition.

UMary Stats
Chloe Chong is 4-2 in number one singles.

Ilona Freitag has compiled a 4-2 record in number two singles.

Doaa Farouk Mohamed is undefeated with a 6-0 record in number three singles.

Emily Needham has amassed a 4-2 record in number four singles.

Heidi Jacobson is 2-4 in number five singles.

Callie McDonald has a record of 2-4 in number six singles.

About the Opposition
Davenport University is 4-6 to begin the 2021-22 season. Freshman Kumiko Yamaguchi is 2-0 when competing in number three singles. Junior Vladislava Shumilova      is 3-1 in number 5 singles. Junior Willemien Coetzee is 4-4 in number one singles.

Eckerd College is 1-4 overall and 0-4 in the Sunshine State Conference. Sophomore Ericka Chavarria is 2-4 when competing in number one singles.

Oakland University is 0-3 to start the season. Junior Nirva Patel competes for OU in number one singles. Liza Mladentseva competes in number two singles.

Southern New Hampshire University is 9-2 overall and 9-1 in the Northeast-10 Conference. Graduate student Natalie Kallmunzerova is undefeated with a 10-0 record in number one singles. Junior Magdalena Hubickova is 9-1 in number two singles. Senior Alexxa Etienne is 7-1 in number three singles.           

NSIC Preseason Poll
UMary is projected to finish third in the Northern Sun according to the NSIC preseason coaches' poll. UMary finished fourth last year in the NSIC after going 8-3 in conference play.

Player to Watch
Chloe Chong was named the 2022 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tennis Player to Watch for the Marauders. Chong was a team captain while playing in Malaysia and helped lead her team to a bronze medal in the ASEAN school games.

New Faces
Head coach Vida Saliendra brings in a young and dynamic team as five of the nine roster spots are taken by freshmen. Chloe Chong, Doaa Farouk Mohamed, Ilona Freitag, Callie McDonald and Emily Needham will all play a big role in the upcoming 2022 season.

Mohamed won several national titles while competing in Cairo, Egypt. Freitag won several individual and team competitions during her time in Switzerland. McDonald captained her high school team for her senior year and received All-Conference Honorable Mention honors for her efforts.

Needham was honored in 2018 as the USTA Wyoming Junior Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year. In 2021 she was the recipient of the Jim Steadman High School Athletic Award for leadership on and off the court.  The 4-time All-State recipient won back-to-back Wyoming High School #1 singles State championships in 2019 & 2020.

Returners
A notable returner for the Marauders is Heidi Jacobson, who competed as a six last season for the Marauders. She went 5-5 overall and 7-3 in doubles competition. Samantha Purpura and Ellie Schmidt return to UMary as Sophomores.

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