JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman women's tennis team opens the spring season with a nationally-ranked North Georgia squad on Wednesday afternoon.

North Georgia comes into the spring ranked No. 11 nationally after making it to the second round of the NCAA DII Southeast Regional, where it fell to No. 18 Columbus State.

The Nighthawks return a sizable amount of talent from a year ago, including First-Team All-Peach Belt selection Viktorie Wojcikova, who posted a 12-9 record in the No. 1 singles slot, including a win over a nationally-ranked opponent.

Five Nighthawks who tallied double-digit singles wins return. UNG combined for an 87-35 mark in singles play as a team.

While it is a tall task, the Eagles look to challenge the Nighthawks, boasting a solid amount of returning talent.

Leading the Eagles is Anita Chornei, who was selected First-Team All-SAC after a 9-9 campaign in 2023, including a ranked win. Chornei is second on the Eagles in career wins with 35.

Natasha Forrest also poses a threat as a Second-Team All-SAC selection in singles, earning double-digit wins in 2023 with a 13-5 record. Forrest is nearing the 50-win mark at C-N, holding 46 career wins to begin the spring. 

In doubles, the Nighthawks boast a pair of doubles who earned double-digit wins a season ago in Svetlana Tetrina/Angelina Linnikova and Viktorie Wojcikova/Johanna Lippert. The duos produced 16 wins apiece, accounting for 32 of the Nighthawks' 45 doubles wins.

The Second-Team All-SAC pairing of Summer Reeves and Natasha Forrest looks to boost the Eagles' doubles attack by replicating their success against the Nighthawks a season ago. C-N's talented duo brought down the top pairing of Lippert and Wojcikova in 2023, winning the match 7-5 in Dahlonega.

With talent returning for both sides, the Eagles will look to get the spring season off on the right foot with a ranked upset against the Nighthawks, starting at 1:30 pm on Wednesday in Jefferson City.