By: Ben Kessler - Maryland Media Relations Student Assistant
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The Maryland women's golf team will open its 2016 fall slate on Monday at the Mercedes-Benz Collegiate Championship on the course of the Cherokee Country Club in Knoxville, Tenn.
This opening tournament will be a homecoming for third year head coach Diana Cantu, who played at the University of Tennessee. Cantu brings in many new pieces for the 2016-2017 season with transfer Lauren Salazar, and freshmen Sydney Mills and Xiaolin Tian. The freshman from Hohhot Nei Mongol, China, Tian, was named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list along with seniors Alexandra Papell and Panitta Yusabai.
Cantu is excited to see all the new members of the Terrapin squad in action.
“I'm really excited to add Lauren Salazar as a transfer from Clemson,” said Cantu. “I think she's going to help our team a lot and add some depth to our lineup. Our freshman Xiaolin Tian is a great player and has a lot of experience. She's actually a 21-year-old freshman. It actually adds some maturity to our team even though she's a freshman. We're really excited to have her. I think she's going to make an immediate impact on our team.”
Lauren Salazar is really excited to be a Terp as well, saying she cannot be happier with her decision to come to Maryland.
“I love the team, I love the coaches,” said Salazar. “The University is awesome. Everything is close to campus. You can get to practice and your dorm very quickly. The support has been phenomenal.”
The feeling is mutual with Cantu, as the head coach believes that Salazar can and already has made a big impact on the team.
“Something that I really liked about her was that not only had she been there and done that, she'd been there and done that at a great program,” mentioned Cantu. “When she decided to come here it was very exciting. She brings the experience of being in a top-level program. In only her second year competing at Clemson she was their number one player. So she brings a lot of confidence and experience but also maturity to our team. The rest of the team feels more confident because they feel like there are more players that can do well for us. “
The team is raising expectations this year as referenced by sophomore Ludovica Scandroglio.
“As a team, our goal is to go to the regionals,” Scandroglio said. “We want to get into the top half of the conference and in tournament play.”
When asked what Terp fans can expect out of her team this year, Cantu expressed improvement. The head coach believes her program is going in the right direction.
“I'm excited. Everyone on our team can play for us,” said Cantu. “We didn't have that the last couple of years. It adds a little bit more competition within the team. We can all play well and do better. We play a very strong schedule, that's been the case every year that I've been here. I do think we have the potential and players to do better this year which is extremely exciting.”
The fall slate includes five tournaments in four different states, beginning on Monday in Tennessee and wrapping up on October 23 at the Cardinal Cup in Simpsonville, KY.
