Women’s Tennis Starts 2024 at Salem State Saturday

SUFFOLK at SALEM STATE
Date Time Venue Series	Saturday, Sept. 7 12:00 PM SSU Tennis Courts Central Campus Salem, Mass. First Meeting

BOSTON – Suffolk women's tennis gets its 2024 campaign underway Saturday, Sept. 7 at Salem State at 12:00 p.m. 

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RAMS ROOKIES
Suffolk women's tennis will have a nearly all-new look in 2024 as first-year head coach Zack Goodstein has welcomed five newcomers to the fold. 

The five newcomers – two true freshmen, Aastha Shah and Megha Tenneti, sophomore Chloe Pszenny, juniors Jaylin Hills, Elene Nishnianidze – join returners sophomore Nia Bebb and seniors Rachel Hill and Caren Urbano to comprise the 2024 Suffolk women's tennis team. 

MORE READING: Women's Tennis Welcomes Five Newcomers in 2024

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Suffolk women's tennis first-year head coach Zack Goodstein has given seniors Rachel Hill and Caren Urbano the co-captain title for the 2024 campaign.  

The pair is the fourth straight set to share the leadership role. Urbano returns to her post as captain, while Hill begins her first term in the role.  

MORE READING: Women's Tennis Names Hill, Urbano Co-Cpatains for 2024 

GEOGRAPHY 101
The Rams geographical make-up spreads five states and two countries. On top of the United States, one student-athlete calls Georgia home. A pair come to the Beantown from Maine and New Hampshire with Massachusetts, Florida and Rhode Island represented by one Ram apiece. 

CLASS CATEGORIES
Suffolk's eight-player roster is well mixed. There are a pair of true freshmen, sophomore sand juniors, respectively, with one junior and one senior.  

COACH'S COURT
Zack Goodstein became the newest head coach of women's tennis over the off season.  

Suffolk is Goodstein's first collegiate head coaching job. He brings his tennis pro knowledge to Beacon Hill from the Lexington Tennis Club, which he co-founded and currently serves as the Director of Operations.  

MORE READING: Goodstein Named Women's Tennis Head Coach 

OPENING ACT

• Since 2007, Suffolk sports a 5-11 opening day record.
• Suffolk looks for its first match one win since blanking St. Joseph (Conn.), 9-0, Sept. 11, 2021.
• The blue-and-gold begins the year on the road for the fourth straight season. Suffolk is 1-8 when pulling the curtain back on the season away from home since 2007.
• The blue-and-gold will battle Salem State in the first match of the year for the first time dating back to 2007. 
• Three matches have been decided in shutout fashion in the season debut since 2007. Suffolk is 1-2 in both instances.  

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
In a vote by the Conference of New England's head coaches, Suffolk women's tennis has been projected to finish sixth in the CNE Preseason Coaches' Poll.

MORE READING: Women's Tennis Selected Sixth in CNE Coaches Preseason Poll 

VIKINGS VIEW
Salem State fell to Simmons, 6-1, in its season debut Wednesday. 

The twosome of Madison Sartori and Abigail Laliberte teamed up as the top tandem for the Vikings. Sartori played as SSU's No. 1 in singles as well. It was Salem's fifth racquet that record a point though as Erin Curristin earned a three-set, thrilling win to be the lone player with a one on her ledger this year.  

INSIDE THE SERIES

• It'll be the first meeting between Suffolk and Salem State according to the match-by-match record book, which dates back to the 2008 season. 

SUFFOLK'S SCHEDULE
The Rams have 10 days to prep for their Conference of New England opener, which is on tap for Tuesday, Sept. 17 at Gordon.