KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Opening weekend for Carson-Newman women's tennis is finally here as the Eagles get the spring 2022 season started this weekend. Carson-Newman will take to the courts of the Knoxville Racquet Club as they welcome in the Union (Ky.) Bulldogs on Saturday before playing host to the North Georgia Nighthawks Sunday morning.
"We have the advantage of being able to play inside. If you play inside, there's a certainty of always playing," head coach Jim Frederick said. "Playing indoors attracts better teams to come as they don't have to worry about the weather."
Carson-Newman women's tennis closed out last season with their first ever SAC semifinals appearance under head coach Jim Frederick, finishing 13-7 overall and 8-4 in SAC play. This led CNWT to garner their highest preseason poll ranking under the head coach as C-N has been projected fourth in the 2022 SAC preseason poll. als all three previous instances.
Along with the placement of eighth in the preseason poll, Carson-Newman women's tennis had a trio of athletes named to preseason first-teams in both singles and doubles. Senior Ana Carla Resende (Minas Gerais, Brazil) gained her third straight preseason honors while Natasha Forrest (Jersey, United Kingdom) and Hannah Price (Knoxville, Tenn.) have been tabbed with preseason first-team doubles honors.
SCOUTING UNION (KY.)
Saturday's head-to-head season opener against Union (Ky.) will mark almost a year to the day since the two programs last squared off. In the last matchup, it would be the Bulldogs inching out a 4-3 final decision and taking home a victory. Graduate student Hannah Price (Knoxville, Tenn.) and junior Natasha Forrest (Jersey, United Kingdom) would claim victories in both doubles action as well as being two out of the three points for C-N singles.
Union College comes into Saturday after finishing 2021 as the fifth-ranked NAIA women's team. The Bulldogs finished 2021 with an overall record of 15-3, winning the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) regular season championship with an unblemished 7-0 mark. Union would go on to the NAIA National quarterfinals, going 1-1 in the 24-team event and earning a no. five ranking in the final poll.
The Bulldogs have already begun their spring season, currently holding a 1-2 record through three matches. Union College took place in the NAIA Indoor Team National Championships last weekend as they would face off with Holy Cross, sixth-ranked SCAD Savannah, and 10th ranked Montreat. The event started off strong for Union as they swept Holy Cross 4-0 before falling 4-3 to SCAD Savannah and being swept 4-0 by Montreat to close out their time.
SCOUTING NORTH GEORGIA
The last time Carson-Newman faced off with North Georgia came last March as it would be UNG defending home courts and taking a 5-2 victory. Carson-Newman would take the valuable doubles point behind two strong 6-3 victories. The only other victory on that day for C-N came by way of senior Ana Carla Resende (Minas Gerais, Brazil) taking home a three-set victory before the Eagles would drop the remaining five decisions.
"Girls won the doubles point and had a chance at two other matches against North Georgia," head coach Jim Frederick said.
Meanwhile, North Georgia women's tennis comes into the spring 2022 season after another phenomenal 2021 season, leading to a projection of third in the latest Peach Belt Conference Preseason poll. The Nighthawks also placed two athletes on preseason All-PBC teams in Vaishali Jorge and Anna Markvartova. In 2021, UNG advanced to the second round of the NCAA Southeast Regional, finishing the season with a mark of 12-5 overall and 6-2 in PBC play. Due to their efforts on the court, UNG is ranked no. 18 in the ITA preseason top 25 and return four seniors for this season.
Vaishali Jorge won the ITA Southeast Region doubles championship with partner Johanna Lippert as the pair advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2021 ITA Cup as well. Anna Markvartova was named the 2021 ITA Southeast Region Rookie of the Year after finishing last season with a record of 10-4 in singles, including 5-2 against conference foes in singles and 8-3 in doubles.
Opening serve from the Knoxville Racquet Club is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. against the Bulldogs and 11 a.m. on Sunday against the Nighthawks.
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