Colorado University Athletics

Tennis Opens Spring Season This Weekend

Tennis Opens Spring Season This Weekend
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BOULDER ? The University of Colorado women’s tennis team begins the spring 2008 season this weekend at the University of New Mexico with a pair of matches against nationally ranked opponents.

 

On Saturday, the No. 38th nationally ranked Buffaloes will take on the host and No. 67th ranked Lobos at 3 p.m., and on Sunday, CU will play the No. 16 ranked Vanderbilt Commodores at 10 a.m.

 

Both matches will take place at the Lobo Tennis Club in Albuquerque.

 

CU and New Mexico will be playing for the first time since the 2005 season with the Buffs hoping to break a five-match skid and their first

win over the Lobos since 1997.

 

On Sunday, CU and Vanderbilt will be meeting for the first time.

 

New Mexico was 12-11 last season and finished the 2007 campaign as the No. 67th ranked school. They feature one nationally ranked player in Sandra Zmak at No. 85, while the Commodores boast a trio of singles players ranked in the top-40: No. 13 Courtney Ulery, No. 24 Catherine Newman and No. 34 Amanda Taylor.

 

Vandy was 19-9 a year ago and advanced to the NCAA Round of 16.

 

Although CU does not represent any singles and doubles players in the national rankings, they do return eight letterwinners from last year’s 16-8 NCAA Tournament team, in addition to a pair of freshmen.

 

Ninth-year head coach Nicole Kenneally returns four seniors, a pair of juniors, sophomores and freshmen.

 

Senior Gleisy Torres Torres begins her final semester with 62 career singles victories ranking 18th on the school’s all-time list, followed by fellow senior Veera Nurmi with 59 wins.

 

Juniors Monica Milewski and Franziska Jendrian each return with 45 triumphs, and sophomores Melisa Esposito and Camila Belassi chime in with 26 and 22 victories, respectively.

 

After beginning the season on the road, CU returns to Boulder for a three-game homestand at the Millennium Harvest House against DePaul (Jan. 25), Northern Colorado (Feb. 6) and Denver (Feb. 9). Admission and parking are free.