Cougars Host CAA Rivals UNCW On Friday

Friday, February 22

Charleston, S.C.

2:00 PM

College of Charleston

UNCW

Photo by: Al Samuels

2/21/2019 3:51:00 PM | Women's Tennis

COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON (2-3) vs. UNCW (4-2)
Match #6 • Friday Feb. 22, 2019 • 2 p.m. ET
CofC Tennis Center at Patriots Point • Mt. Pleasant, S.C.

Live Stats: CofCStats.com

CHARLESTON, S.C. – The College of Charleston women's tennis team begins a two-match home weekend with a Friday afternoon matchup against Colonial Athletic Association rival UNCW.

The Cougars (2-3) and Seahawks (4-2) begin doubles play at 2 p.m. with Charleston riding a four-game regular season win streak against UNCW dating back to 2015.

Quotable - Head Coach Angelo Anastopoulo
"Tomorrows first conference match of the season against a streaking UNCW team will be a real test of our teams ability to handle close matches... Every time UNCW and the Cougars battle, it's a match to remember... Coach Olsen is one of the best coaches in the country and you know his team will be ready... We need tremendous fan support to pick up the victory."

Scouting UNCW
After opening the year with back-to-back losses against Wofford and South Carolina State, the Seahawks have rattled off four straight victories over Kennesaw State, N.C. Central, Georgia Southern and Campbell. UNCW defeated Georgia Southern 5-2, two days before Charleston rallied for a 4-3 victory over the Eagles in its home opener on Feb. 10.
Sophomore Maddy Muller-Hughes is 5-0 in singles action, 2-0 in flight one and 1-0 in flights two, three and six. Senior Sabrina Barisano is 6-0 in flights four and five with the two student-athletes, First Team All-CAA Doubles selections last season, 5-1 in the number one doubles slot this year.
Lee Dubois-Rebiere is 3-0 in singles flight three with doubles partner Rachel Marthinsen 4-1 in flight six – the pair have combined for a 4-2 record in doubles this year, 0-2 in flight two but 4-0 in flight three.

Notables
• Charleston are 16-4 all-time, 10-1 at Patriots Point, against UNCW.
• The Seahawks single victory in Charleston came back in 2006, the Cougars winning three straight at Patriots Point since then.
• Charleston have won four straight regular-season matchups against the Seahawks and have won five of the last six matchups between the teams.
• The Seahawks defeated the Cougars in the CAA Tournament in 2017.
Charleston and UNCW have faced off 20 times in program history, 17 times in the regular season and three times in the CAA Tournament.
• Senior Turner Yates was named CAA Singles Player of the Week on Jan. 30.
• Yates is 2-1 in flight five, Christi Woodson is 1-3 in flight one, Lily LaBiche is 1-3 in flight two.
• Woodson & Anastasia Palaska are 1-2 in No. 1 doubles, Sarah Zschunke & Yates are 1-2 in No. 3 doubles.

Home Opening Win
Charleston rallied to a 4-3 victory over Georgia Southern in the 2019 home opener on Feb. 10, freshman Clara Errard clinching the match-winning point in her first collegiate victory. Singles action was the catalyst for the Charleston win, the Cougars picking up victories on courts one, four, five and six after the Eagles took the early doubles point. Senior Turner Yates moved to 3-1 n the season with a straight sets win on court five, Catalina Medici also winning in straight sets on court six. Christi Woodson dropped the opening set before bouncing back with a 6-4, 7-5 win in the number one spot with Errard clinching the match through a 1-6, 6-1, 6-3 victory on court four.

Player of the Week
In a strong start to her senior season, Turner Yates earned CAA Singles Player of the Week honors on Jan. 30 after finished the opening weeks of play with a 1-1 record at No. 5 singles. Yates picked up a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Elin Hellberg of USC Upstate, before pushing No. 98 ranked Peyton Pesavento of Wake Forest to a narrow third set loss (6-3, 2-6, 4-6). On Friday the senior picked up Charleston's lone point at Winthrop, dropping the opening set 1-6, before bouncing back with a tiebreaking win in set two (7-6, 7-4) before pulling away late in set three (7-5) to move to 3-1 in flight five.

The Opening Weekend
Charleston picked up a season opening win over USC Upstate on Jan. 18, with senior duo Turner Yates and Sarah Zschunke winning on court three to claim the doubles point. Christi Woodson, Lily Labiche and Yates all winning in straight sets on courts one, two and five to give The College a 4-3 win.
Yates strong singles action continued against Wake Forest and Clemson, the senior earning the CAA Singles Player of the Week nod after pushing No. 98 ranked Deacon Peyton Pesavento to a narrow third set loss (6-3, 2-6, 4-6), before leveling up against the Tigers Miller-Krasilnikov, 3-6, 6-1, before the match was called early.

The Cougars
Charleston looks to the leadership of four seniors and one junior in head coach Angelo Anastopoulo's 28^th season in charge. Laura Arciniegas, 2018 All-CAA Singles Second Team selection Christi Woodson, Turner Yates and Sarah Zschunke return alongside Anastasia Palaska, Ava Turner and Catalina Medici from a 2018 squad that finished 17-11 in the CAA Semifinal round. Newcomers include sophomore Eva Nyikos, a transfer from North Florida and sister to last season's senior Helena Nyikos, alongside Clara Errard and Lily LaBiche.