COLLEGE PARK, Md. – Looking to set the record for the best start to a spring season in program history, the No. 43 Maryland women's tennis team will play a three-match home stand this weekend against William & Mary, Iowa and Princeton.
LAST TIME OUT
Maryland matched the best start to a spring season in program history last Saturday when it defeated Penn, 6-1. The 6-0 start is tied with the 2007 squad, which opened its spring slate with a 6-0 record before losing to William & Mary.
The Terps got out to another fast start, picking up the doubles point for the fifth consecutive match. Senior duo Alexandra Stanova and Kristina Hovsepyan moved their record to 4-0 on the season, and Ekaterina Tour and Caroline Williams also picked up a win at second doubles.
Penn responded with the first singles point, but Maryland then picked up wins from Caroline Williams, Kristina Hovsepyan and Ekaterina Tour. Tour's win gave her five victories in as many appearances, and has not lost a singles match on the season. Williams has now won both singles matches she's played in this season and has matched her doubles win total from her freshman season. Hovsepyan now has a three-match winning streak.
SCOUTING THE TRIBE
No. 49 William and Mary comes to College Park with a 4-7 record. The Tribe has faced a challenging schedule this spring, facing six opponents ranked in the ITAs Top 50. Their most recent victory came on February 18, a 6-1 win over Dartmouth. They have dropped their two matches since.
The Tribe will be led by its lone senior: Marie Faure. The France-native was one of two players in the CAA to be named First Team All-CAA in both singles in doubles following her junior season. She has played in the first, second and third singles spots this season, and will also play first doubles with teammate Lauren Goodman.
With a win, Maryland will match its best start to a spring season in program history. The Terps best overall start came in the 1977-1978 season. Maryland started 12-0 between the fall and spring that season, but the season took place before teams switched to a tournament-based schedule for the fall season.
SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
Maryland assistant coach, and former Hawkeye head coach Katie Dougherty will face her former squad for the first time since coming to College Park for the 2016-2017 season.
The Hawkeyes have had an impressive start to the spring season, and are the owners of a 9-0 record. Their most recent win came against Western Illinois, where the Hawkeyes swept the Bulldogs 7-0.
Iowa comes into the match at No. 47 in the latest ITA rankings, four spots behind the Terrapins. This will be their first conference match of the season.
Zoe Douglas will look to continue her strong play this season. The junior is 5-3 in singles, and owns an impressive 6-1 record at doubles with freshman Elise Van Heuvelen.
SCOUTING THE TIGERS
Princeton will come to Maryland with a 6-5 record on the season. They have had an up and down spring, winning their first three matches before dropping the next three. They have played a challenging schedule, facing ranked opponents such as Wake Forest, Texas A&M and Rice. Their most recent match came against No. 43 Kentucky, with the Tigers losing 4-0.
The Tigers have won three straight Ivy League championships, and will be led by a mix of veterans and new faces. Freshman Clare McKee has been a force in her first season, and has a 3-2 record this spring after going 8-4 in the fall.
LIVE STREAM & STATS
Live stats links will be provided for each match. This will also be the first weekend Maryland will be using the PlaySight technology, which will allow fans to live stream the matches from a computer. Follow the Terps on Twitter at @TerpTennis.
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