GRAND FORKS, ND – The University of Mary tennis team opens their weekend matches against NCAA Division I opponent the University of North Dakota on Friday, March 22, at 4 pm in Grand Forks, ND.

The Marauders then head to Fargo, ND, to challenge a pair of Northern Sun opponents, beginning with the University of Minnesota Duluth on Saturday, March 23, at 2 pm. UMary (4-3, 3-0 NSIC) takes on St. Cloud State University on Sunday, March 24, at 9 am.

THE RECORDS
Chloe Chong is 2-3 in #1 singles, 0-1 in #2 singles and 3-3 in #1 doubles competition. Chong is 2-2 in #1 singles and 2-2 in #1 doubles against NCAA Division II opponents.

Hala Hossam Awad is at 4-2 in #2 singles, 0-1 in #1 singles and 4-3 in #2 doubles competition. Against NCAA Division II opponents, Awad is 3-1 in #2 singles and 3-1 in #2 doubles.

Ilona Freitag is 3-4 in #3 singles and 3-3 in #1 doubles competition. Freitag went 3-1 in #3 singles and 2-2 in #1 doubles against Division II opponents.

Maria Estinvil is 4-3 in #4 singles and 4-3 in #2 doubles competition. Estinvil is undefeated at 4-0 against Division II opponents in #4 singles and 3-1 in #2 doubles.

Emily Needham is 3-3 in #5 singles and 1-5 in #3 doubles competition. Against Division II opponents, Needham is 3-1 in #5 singles and 1-3 in #3 doubles.

Luba Moyo is 3-3 in #6 singles, 0-1 in #5 singles and 1-5 in #3 doubles competition. Moyo is 3-1 in #6 singles and 1-3 in #3 doubles.

LAST WEEK
The Marauders went 1-3 in their Florida spring break games. UMary went 0-3 against NCAA Division I competition. UMary fell 7-0 to the University of Tampa, 7-0 to Oakland University and 6-1 to Bowling Green. The Marauders defeated Eckard College 4-3.

Ilona Freitag captured the match for the Marauders against EC by coming back from behind to defeat Ericka Chavarria in #3 singles 4-6, 6-2, 10-4. Maria Estinvil shut out Julia Triska 6-0, 6-0 in #4 singles. Emily Needham won 6-4, 6-2 in #5 singles over Maialen Idiakez.

OPPO RESEARCH – University of North Dakota
UND is 7-10 overall on the year. Sela Separ is 2-2 as the Hawks #1 in singles. Andrea Jansson is 2-2 in #2 singles. Jule Schulte is 2-0 in #3 singles and 5-1 overall.

OPPO RESEARCH – University of Minnesota Duluth
UMD is 1-4 overall and 1-2 in the NSIC. The Bulldogs are projected to finish 9^th in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Shay Callaway is 1-2 in #1 singles for UMD. Abby Johnson has recorded a 2-1 record in #2 singles.

OPPO RESEARCH - St. Cloud State University
SCSU is 3-6 overall and 1-3 in the NSIC. The Huskies are projected to finish 6^th in the Northern Sun.  Maria Paz Aoki is 1-3 in #1 singles. Oriana Grott is 2-1 in #2 singles. Claudia Muñoz Perez is 3-0 in #3 singles.

CHLOE CHONG NAMED PLAYER TO WATCH
For the third straight year, Chloe Chong was named the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Tennis Player to Watch for the Marauders. The junior has earned All-NSIC First Team singles honors in her first two seasons at UMary.

Chong is coming off a season where she went 6-3 in singles competition in the NSIC as she competed as the one for the Marauders. The Selangor, Malaysia, native went 7-3 in doubles competition in the conference with her partner Ilona Freitag. The duo is a two-time Second Team All-NSIC team selection in doubles competition.

NOTABLE RETURNERS
Hala Hossam Awad returns for her sophomore season after earning All-NSIC Second Team singles in her first season at UMary. The Cairo, Egypt, native went 15-1 overall and 11-0 in conference action. Awad suffered her only loss in a close match (6-1, 2-6, 1-0) against an NCAA Division I opponent.

Ilona Freitag and Emily Needham return for their third years as Marauders. Freitag went 11-5 overall and 8-3 in conference play in her second season. Freitag and Chloe Chong went 11-5 overall and 7-3 in NSIC matches in 2023, again as the Marauders number-one doubles team.

Battling past a knee injury early in her sophomore season, Needham went 4-8 overall and 3-5 in the NSIC in singles competition. She finished the year strong, winning four of her last five matches. In perhaps her biggest win of the season, Needham defeated Clara Thoemke of Winona State with the season on the line at the NSIC Tournament on April 21.

NEW FACES
The Marauders have added two scholar-athletes as Luba Moyo and Maria Estinvil look to compete in the 2024 season. Moyo transferred to UMary from Iowa Central Community College, where she graduated with an Associate of Arts and Science with honors. Estinvil transferred from Chowan University as she competed as the one during her freshman year for the Hawks.

MAARUDERS PROJECTED TO FINISH THIRD
UMary is projected to finish third in the Northern Sun, according to the 2024 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll. Last season, The Marauders finished third in the NSIC, going 11-6 overall and 9-2 in conference. UMary boasts a six-person lineup with four scholar-athletes returning from last year.

Augustana is projected to finish first, followed by Minnesota State University – Mankato, UMary, University of Sioux Falls, Winona State University, St. Cloud State University, Minnesota State University Moorhead, University of Minnesota Crookston, University of Minnesota Duluth and Bemidji State University.

THE STAFF
Vida Saliendra returns for her 12th year as the UMary Head Tennis Coach. Saliendra has had an impressive career at the helm of Marauders Tennis, riding into 2024 on five consecutive winning seasons. The Marauders are 93-81 with Saliendra as their coach. She is joined by assistant coach Erik Porter, who is in his second season with the Marauders.

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