Women's Tennis | 9/28/2017 10:30:00 AM

GAME INFORMATION
Daemen Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 ECC) vs. District of Columbia Firebirds (1-3, 1-2 ECC)
Friday, Sept. 29  |  7 p.m. |  Williamsville, N.Y.  |  Miller Tennis Center

Daemen Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 ECC) vs. Alderson-Broaddus Battlers (0-2, 0-0 GMAC)
Saturday, Sept. 30  |  10 a.m. |  Amherst, N.Y.  |  Ellicott Tennis Courts

Daemen Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 ECC) vs. Walsh Cavaliers (0-2, 0-0 GMAC)
Saturday, Sept. 30  |  2 p.m. |  Amherst, N.Y.  |  Ellicott Tennis Courts

Daemen Wildcats (3-3, 1-2 ECC) vs. Oswego State Lakers (3-4, 0-3 SUNYAC)
Sunday, Oct. 1  |  3:30 p.m. |  Amherst, N.Y.  |  Ellicott Tennis Courts

BEATTY'S BACK
Stephen Beatty returns for his fifth season as the head coach of the Wildcats...over the course of his first four seasons, Beatty has guided the Daemen women's tennis team to a 33-61 record...a former collegiate player at Division II Northwood University (Mich.) and Division III D'Youville College, Beatty got his coaching start as an assistant to Kelly Brown, serving for one season--Daemen's inaugural season of tennis competition--before being promoted to the top post.

WILDCATS PICKED 7TH IN ECC PRESEASON POLL
Following a vote of the league's head coaches, Daemen has been picked to finish seventh in the East Coast Conference this season.

RETURNING WILDCATS
The Wildcats are coming off a 9-15 campaign in 2016-17 (1-6 in ECC play), setting the team record for most wins in a season. They will enter the season without the services of Hayle Scanlan and Karli Hollins, two of the most decorated players in team history who were lost to graduation. Veterans Gretchen Ringler (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) and Jessica Robins (North Tonawanda, N.Y./North Tonawanda) return to lead the team this season. The duo has combined to make 124 starts in singles play and 100 starts in doubles play in their careers. Ringler posted an 8-16 record at No. 3 singles last year and enters the season ranked second in career singles wins (30) among the program's all-time leaders. Robbins went 11-13 at No. 4 singles. Junior Morgan Park (Hamburg, N.Y./Hamburg) also returns after going 4-5 at No. 6 singles as a sophomore.

FRESH FACES
Daemen welcomes three true freshmen to the 2017-18 squad, including local product Christina Stasiuk (Bowmansville, N.Y./Lancaster). Stasiuk was a four-year member of the Lancaster girl's varsity tennis team. A two-time team captain and two-time team MVP, she played No. 1 singles and qualified for the Section VI championships her junior and senior year. Fellow freshmen Giovanna Paschoalin (Sao Caetano Do Sui, Brazil) and Lorissa Yuen (Portland, Ore./Sunset) are also expected to see significant playing time.

FAST START
Daemen is off to a 3-3 start to the season with all six of their dual-matches coming on the road. The Wildcats scored wins over St. Michael's (6-3) and American International (7-2) to secure the program's first ever 2-0 start to a season. Back-to-back losses Bentley (7-2) and Queens (9-0) followed, but the team regrouped with an 8-1 league win at Molloy. The Wildcats' last dual-match was a 7-2 loss at rival Roberts Wesleyan on Sept. 19.

IMPRESSING AT ITA'S
Freshman Lorissa Yuen was the headliner for Daemen at the prestigious ITA East Region Championship tournament held last weekend at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, site of the U.S. Open. Yuen went 3-1 in singles matches; her first two wins came in the qualifying draw and gave her the right to advance into the main singles draw. In her main draw opening round match, Yuen downed Karen Serina of Adelphi, 6-4, 6-4. She would bow out in the second round, however, falling to Dominika Hadnadova from District of Columbia. Yuen is 6-5 in singles play this season; she's tied for the team lead in singles wins with fellow freshman Christina Stasiuk who earned her sixth victory in the opening round of the qualifying draw before bowing out in the second.

CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
Freshman Lorissa Yuen was named the East Coast Conference Rookie of the Week for matches held August 28 through September 3. Yuen led the Wildcats to wins over St. Michael's and American International during the week, posting a perfect 2-0 record in both singles and doubles play in the two matches. She became the first Daemen player to earn ECC Rookie of the Week honors since Brianna Fiorita did so in the opening week of the 2013-14 season.

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SCOUTING REPORT
UDC returns three players from its 2016-17 squad which went 7-7 overall and 4-3 in ECC play. The Firebirds qualified as the No. 4 seed for last season's ECC Tournament, the program's sixth-straight season with a conference tournament berth. The team's top returner is senior Dominika Hadnadova, a second-team All-ECC selection last season after posting a 7-7 singles record and a 13-4 mark in doubles action. Also back is junior Paula Avellan who went 12-5 in singles matches last season. The Firebirds have won just one of their first four matches, but it was a big one; UDC knocked off ECC favorite NYIT 5-4 on Sept. 8. The win halted NYIT's 31-match ECC winning streak which dated back to the 2011 season. Losses to LIU Post (5-4), Queens (9-0) and Division I Georgetown (9-0) have followed. At the ITA East Region Championship tournament last weekend, Hadnadova was the No. 6 seed in the main draw, and advanced to the round of 16 where she bowed out. Avellan along with sophomore Estefania Castrillon and freshman Anastasiia Danylova each won two matches in the qualifying draw before bowing out in the main draw's round of 32. UDC was picked fourth in the ECC preseason poll, and the Firebirds are led by head coach T. Richard Mahaffey, III who has led the team to a 61-66 record in his nine-year tenure.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. District of Columbia: 0-4
Streak: Lost 4
Last Meeting: UDC 5, Daemen 4 | Sept. 16, 2016 | Washington, D.C.

ALDERSON-BROADDUS SCOUTING REPORT
ABU is a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference. The Battlers are led by head coach Ned Kelly who is currently in his first year of his second stint with the ABU athletic department. All six players on the ABU roster are returners from their 2016-17 team which went 2-12 overall and 2-4 in GMAC matches. Headlining the roster is sophomore Rhea John who posted a 6-5 record in the No. 1 singles position last season. The Battlers are off to an 0-2 start this season after falling at Fairmont State (8-1) and at West Virginia Wesleyan (9-0) earlier this month. ABU brings a five-match skid that dates back to last season into their match Friday vs. Roberts Wesleyan before facing Daemen Saturday.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Alderson-Broaddus: 0-0
Streak: N/A
Last Meeting: N/A

WALSH SCOUTING REPORT
Walsh is in its first season as a member of the Great Midwest Athletic Conference after leaving the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference following the 2016-17 season. Head coach Bryan Whittaker is in his sixth season at the helm, and he returns six players from the Cavaliers' 2016-17 roster. Walsh is coming off a 6-16 campaign last season, including a 2-9 mark in GLIAC play. Walsh has dropped six consecutive matches dating back to last season, including their first two of the 2017-18 season. Losses this year have come at Ashland (5-4) and at home against Tiffin (8-1). Competing at the ITA Midwest Region Championship tournament last weekend, sophomore Mercedes Fernandez had an impressive showing as she advanced to the quarterfinal round of the top singles draw. 

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Walsh: 0-1
Streak: Lost 1
Last Meeting: Walsh 9, Daemen 0 | Oct. 11, 2016 | North Canton, Ohio

OSWEGO STATE SCOUTING REPORT
Oswego State is a member of the NCAA Division III and the State University of New York Athletic Conference. The Lakers are led by third-year head coach Shane Evans who has led the team to a 12-26 overall record to date. The Lakers return six players from their 2016-17 squad which went 4-12 overall and 0-3 in SUNYAC play. Graduate student Alli Ullrich headlines the returners after making 13 appearances in either the No. 1 or No. 2 singles positions last season. Also back is junior Lorrayne Broach who posted a 4-6 singles record last season, giving her the most wins of any Laker returner. The Lakers are coming off a 5-4 loss to Fredonia last weekend, and they'll play Saturday at Plattsburgh before heading to Daemen Sunday.

ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Oswego State: 2-1
Streak: Won 2
Last Meeting: Daemen 8, Oswego State 1 | Sept. 12, 2015 | Oswego, N.Y.
Special Stat: Daemen is 23-13 all-time vs. NCAA Division III opponents

UP NEXT
The Wildcats conclude a five-match homestand by hosting Division III affiliate Houghton for a 5 p.m. dual-match Thursday, Oct. 5.