C-N set for battle with Bulldogs before SAC play begins
C-N is 3-1 in matches played at the Knoxville Racquet Club this season and will be pitted against a Bulldogs (2-1) squad that is No. 25 in the most recent coaches poll voted on by NAIA coaches.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – For the final time this season, Carson-Newman women's tennis will take the short trip to Knoxville for a non-conference match against NAIA member Tennessee Wesleyan.
C-N is 3-1 in matches played at the Knoxville Racquet Club this season and will be pitted against a Bulldogs (2-1) squad that is No. 25 in the most recent coaches poll voted on by NAIA coaches.
For the Eagles (3-2), the team is coming off a 6-1 loss to Division I foe Austin Peay, who entered the match on a six-match winning spell. Early in the season, head coach Jim Frederick says the learning process is still underway for much of his developing roster.
"There's a certain style that each girl has to play, based on what they do best," Frederick said. "You never eliminate what you do best…all (members of the roster) are different in terms of the style they need to play to win, and they're not sticking (to what) gives them the best chance of winning on their court."
To this point on the season, each singles player has a .500 or above record individually, as straight sweeps of Milligan and King earlier this month served as tune ups before the tilt with the Lady Govs of Austin Peay.
Tash Forrest (Jersey, United Kingdom), Alisa Liashova (Ukraine) and Ana Carla Resende (Minas Gerais, Brazil) all hold 3-1 records in singles play, while Anita Chornei (Kyiv, Ukraine) Hannah Price (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Klara Vuckovic (Reutlingen, Germany) are 2-2 on the season.
Combined, C-N is 15-9 in singles and 6-6 in doubles through the first five games.
Staying true to each athlete's technique is what Frederick hopes to see Saturday, along with improvements individually to situational plays.
"I'm not worried about the score as much as I am about how each player plays based on their style," Frederick said.
For the Bulldogs, a 7-0 win over SAC member Mars Hill in the fall serves as the only Division II opponent that the team has faced this season. The team is 1-1 against NAIA schools, splitting decisions between Middle Georgia State College and Cumberland University.
All time in the series, C-N is 5-0 against Tennessee Wesleyan with match play dating back to 2013. Last year's match was postponed and eventually not made due to weather, with the last bout being a 9-0 win for the Eagles on Feb. 20, 2018.
Opening serve is set for 2 p.m. Saturday.
