BISMARCK, ND - The University of Mary Women's Tennis team is ready to kick off their 2023 season from their new home Sunday afternoon. The Marauders will host Minnesota State University Moorhead for a match on February 19 beginning at 1 pm from the Mandan Tennis Center. 

UMary fields a roster of six dynamic tennis players, returning five from a 2022 team that tied for 3rd in the regular conference season and was seeded 5th in the NSIC Tournament. The Marauders were picked to finish 4th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. 

Chloe Chong was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tennis Player to Watch for the Marauders. Chong made the NSIC First Team Singles All-Conference team after a 9-7 overall singles record and 8-3 in the NSIC as a true freshman in 2022. 

Doaa Farouk Mohamed was 14-2 overall and 10-1 in the Northern Sun as a true freshman last season. Ilona Freitag and Emily Needham round out an impressive returning sophomore class. Freitag was 9-6 overall and 8-3 in the NSIC in 2022, while Needham went 9-7 overall and 7-4 in the conference. 

Samantha Purpura is a returning junior and Hala Hossam Awad is an incoming freshman, both look to make an impact for the Marauders this season. 

ABOUT THE OPPOSITION
MSU Moorhead was picked to finish tied for 8th with St. Cloud State in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Dragons are coming off a 5-12 season while going 1-10 in the Northern Sun. Shaelynn Johnson was picked as their Player to Watch by the NSIC after a strong sophomore season, going 10-2 overall in singles competition in 2022. 

The Dragons are 9-3 historically against the Marauders. UMary claimed the last victory head-to-head 5-2 over MSUM on March 26, 2022. 

THE STAFF
Vida Saliendra returns for her 11th year as the UMary Head Tennis Coach. Saliendra has had an impressive career at the helm of Marauders Tennis, riding into 2023 on four consecutive winning seasons. The Marauders are 82-75 with Saliendra as their coach. She is joined by assistant coach Erik Porter, who is in his first season with the Marauders. 

NEW HOME
Sunday's tennis match will be the first for the Marauders inside the brand-new Mandan Tennis Center. The facility was completed at the end of 2022 and will now serve as the home court for Marauders Tennis moving forward. The Mandan Tennis Center is located at 520 16th St NE, Mandan, ND 58554. 

Links to watch the matchups Sunday can be found at goumary.com/coverage.

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