MATCH INFORMATION
Match No. 23
Daemen Wildcats (9-13, 1-6 ECC) vs. Fairmont State Falcons (9-6, 4-4 MEC)
Saturday, April 7 | 7:30 PM | Williamsville, N.Y. | Miller Tennis Center
THE SERVE
Daemen goes for its program-record 10th win of the season Saturday when hosting Fairmont State in a non-league dual match. The Wildcats have been idle since suffering a 7-2 loss to RIT back on March 5. The Wildcats and Falcons will be meeting for the third time in the last four seasons.
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.
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.
IMPRESSING AT ITA'S
Freshman Lorissa Yuen was the headliner for Daemen at the prestigious ITA East Region Championship tournament held in mid-September 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.
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.
UNCHARTED TERRITORY
Daemen's 8-1 win at Millersville on Oct. 10 gave the team seven wins during the fall season, marking the first time that's been achieved in the history of the program which dates back to the 2012-13 season. After adding a 7-2 win at Caldwell on Oct. 15, the Wildcats enter this spring season with eight wins, just one shy of matching the team record for total wins in a season set last year.
MATCHING PROGRAM WINS RECORD
Daemen's 8-1 win over Clarion on Feb. 23 was the team's ninth win of the season, matching the program record for wins which set during last season's 9-15 campaign. Lorissa Yuen, Giovanna Paschoalin, Christina Stasiuk and Gretchen Ringler all earned wins in singles and doubles to lead the way. The Wildcats have won at least eight matches in five consecutive seasons.
STASIUK SETS NEW BENCHMARK FOR SINGLES WINS
With a 16-10 record in singles play this season, freshman Christina Stasiuk has established new benchmarks for wins and wins by a freshman. She recorded her 14th singles win of the season during a 7-2 loss to Le Moyne on Feb. 24, surpassing Gretchen Ringler's record for singles victories by a first-year college player, and matching Hayle Scanlan's team record for singles wins. Stasiuk went on to defeat Edinboro's Roxanna Yeh the following day, becoming the first Daemen player with 15 singles wins in a season.
SENIOR SALUTE
Saturday's match marks the final home contest in the career of Daemen senior Gretchen Ringler. The North Tonawanda product has been an integral member of the program over the last four seasons. She'll graduate while ranked second in team history in combined singles and doubles wins (presently 81), singles wins (presently 42), total singles matches (presently 96), doubles wins (presently 39) and total doubles matches (presently 98). This season has been one of her finest as she's tied her career-high for doubles wins (12), and she sits one shy of her career-high for singles wins (13) which she established during the 2014-15 season.
FAIRMONT STATE SCOUTING REPORT
Fairmont State is a member of the Mountain East Conference, and the Falcons are led by fifth-year head coach Kayla Kurczak. After going just 2-19 in her first season with the program, Kurczak has led the Falcons to a big turn-around, going 37-35 in the last four seasons. FSU returns seven players from their 2016-17 team which went 8-10 overall. The Falcons are led by junior Trinite' Klamadji who earned first team All-MEC honors last fall. Freshman Heloisa Adams was a second team All-MEC selection as well.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Fairmont State: 1-1
Streak: Won 1
Last Meeting: Daemen 8, Fairmont State 1 | Sept. 10, 2016 | Fairmont, W. Va.
UP NEXT
Daemen closes out the 2017-18 season by visiting Jefferson on Sunday, April 15.
