MATCH INFORMATION
Match No. 1
Daemen Wildcats (0-0, 0-0 ECC) vs. Millersville Marauders (0-1, 0-0 PSAC)
Saturday, Sept. 8 | 1 PM | Millersville, Pa. | McComsey Tennis Courts
THE SERVE
Daemen opens the 2018-19 season by visiting Millersville for a non-conference dual match. The teams met for the first time last season with the Wildcats posting an 8-1 win at home.
MCDERMOTT ERA
The 2018-19 season marks the start of a new era for Daemen as head coach Kerry McDermott begins his first season with the program. In early July, McDermott was named the third head coach in team history after spending the last 36 seasons as the head men's tennis coach at the University of Nebraska. In that time, McDermott led the Huskers to 405 victories, the most of any coach in team history, and two NCAA Tournament appearances. His tenure at the Division I school also included one season (1988-89) as the Huskers' head women's tennis coach.
10!
Daemen is coming off a 10-14 record in 2017-18, the program's first-ever 10-win season. The record-setting campaign included eight victories during the fall season, also the most the team has ever achieved, and tying the program record for wins in an entire season which had been done in each of the three previous seasons. An 8-1 win over Clarion on Feb. 23 broke that mark, and the Wildcats went on to add a 6-3 win over Fairmont State on April 7 to break into double figures.
ROCKIN' ROBINS
Senior Jessica Robins returns to the lineup as the team's most experienced and accomplished player. The North Tonawanda, N.Y. native has been a fixture in the lineup over her first three collegiate seasons, racking up a combined 57 wins between singles and doubles play, a total that ranks tied for third in team history. Robins is coming off the strongest season of her career; she posted a career-best 13 singles wins in 2017-18, ranking tied for fourth among the program's all-time single season leaders.
SUPER SOPH
Sophomore Christina Stasiuk also returns to the lineup after making an immediate impact in her rookie season. Stasiuk set a new benchmark for singles wins in a season, racking up 18 of them last year. She surpassed the previous record for singles wins by a freshman (13) set by Gretchen Ringler in 2014-15, and later eclipsed the overall record of 14 singles wins set by Hayle Scanlan in 2016-17.
MILLERSVILLE SCOUTING REPORT
Millersville is a member of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, and the Marauders are led by Matt Helsel who is in his third season at the helm. Helsel came to Millersville after totaling 14 conference championships and 11 NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in a 15-year stint as the head men's and women's tennis coach at Elizabethtown College. Millersville has posted a 7-32 record over Helsel's first two seasons with the program. The Marauders are coming off a 3-17 campaign last season, which included a 2-3 record in PSAC play. Six players return to the fold for the Marauders this season, including senior Katina Jones who posted a team-best 11 singles wins during the 2017-18 season en route to first team All-PSAC Eastern Division honors. Millersville opened their 2018-19 season earlier this week with a 7-0 loss to Goldey-Beacom.
ALL-TIME SERIES
Daemen vs. Millersville: 1-0
Streak: Won 1
Last Meeting: Daemen 8, Millersville 1 | Oct. 10, 2017 | Amherst, N.Y.
ON THE HORIZON
Daemen opens East Coast Conference play by hosting rival Roberts Wesleyan next Tuesday, Sept. 11. The match will take place at the newly renovated outdoor courts at Williamsville South High School.
