Women’s Tennis Serves Off Against Wentworth in 2019 Season Opener
The Suffolk women’s tennis team lifts the lid on its 2019 calendar Thursday, Sept. 5 when it welcomes Wentworth to the Belmont Hill School for a 6:30 p.m. tilt.
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THURSDAY, SEPT. 5 // 6:30 PM |
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SERIES RECORD // SUFFOLK LEADS, 6-1 |
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BOSTON – The Suffolk women's tennis team lifts the lid on its 2019 calendar Thursday, Sept. 5 when it welcomes Wentworth to the Belmont Hill School for a 6:30 p.m. tilt.
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RAPID REWIND
A year ago, Suffolk's squad went 5-9 overall and 3-4 versus conference competition to make its 12th straight trip to the GNAC postseason. The fifth-seeded Rams season ended in the quarterfinals, to fourth-seeded Regis, 5-1.
RAMS ROSTER
Suffolk's six-member boasts three returners, all of who hail from the Rams' Class of 2022, and three new additions.
WELCOME BACK
Suffolk's singles second racquet of Ilda Ascic is back for her second season in blue-and-gold along with her classmates Kendall Smith and Jordan Miller, who held down the majority of the Rams' lower ladder a year ago.
RAMS ROOKIES
Three new faces have been added to the Suffolk women's tennis team for the 2019 campaign in sophomore Brooklyn Peters and true freshmen Alyssa Blade and Bianca Prescott.
MORE READING: Rookie Trio Adds Depth to Women's Tennis in 2019
RAMS RINGLEADERS
Leading up to first serve of the 2019 Suffolk women's tennis campaign, head coach Steve Counihan has named sophomores Ilda Ascic and Kendall Smith as co-captains.
MORE READING: Sophomore Set to Captain 2019 Women's Tennis
GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's women's tennis has a diverse make-up with six athletes hailing from two states and two countries.
The Rams are equal parts Connecticut and Massachusetts natives, with two from each state. Internationally, student-athletes stretch across Europe hailing from Bosnia and Germany.
CLASS CATEGORIES
The Rams post a young team consisting of four sophomores – Ilda Ascic, Jordan Miller, Brooklyn Peters and Kendall Smith – and two freshmen – Alyssa Blade and Bianca Prescott.
COACH'S COURT
Steven Counihan has served as Suffolk's head coach of both the men's and women's program on-and-off for the last decade.
Since his time at Suffolk, Counihan has been at the helm of four Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) championships; one women's (2007) and three men's (2010-12).
Counihan added Rich Karban to the coaching fold as an assistant coach for the 2019 campaign.
OPENING ACT
- Since 2007, Suffolk sports a 4-8 opening day record.
- Suffolk is back at home for its second straight season opener this season. The Rams are 4-2 when playing its debut on their home courts.
- The Rams look to snap a three-match opening-day skid.
- Suffolk's last victory on day one of the season came in a 5-4 thriller over Bridgewater State to lift the lid on the 2015 campaign.
- The blue-and-gold will battle Wentworth in its first match of the year for the first time in the Rams' record books, which dates back through the 2007 campaign.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
In a vote by the conference's eight head coaches, Suffolk women's tennis has been projected to finish sixth in the GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
MORE READING: Women's Tennis Picked Sixth in GNAC Preseason Coaches' Poll
LEOPARDS LOOK
Wentworth sits 0-2 on the year after falling to Worcester State, 7-2, in its season debut and dropping to Rhode Island, 9-0.
The Lions' ace Ali Sollecito is responsible for half of Wentworth's points with the other coming off Hannah Erickson's racquet from the fifth spot.
In doubles, Morgan Collins and Sollecito have partnered in the Lions' pair of matches as the top tandem.
INSIDE THE SERIES
- Suffolk has put together a six-match win streak over Wentworth to grab a 6-1 series lead dating back to the 2012 campaign.
- The Rams defeated the Lions, 8-1, in the foes last meeting, Sept. 6, 2018.
WHAT'S NEXT?
Suffolk will pull the curtain back on its 2019 GNAC calendar this Saturday, Sept. 7 when it entertains Colby Sawyer at 1:30 p.m.