Women's Tennis Readies For Dual-Match Opener

Women's Tennis 1/16/2015 12:00:00 AM

Jan. 16, 2015

vs.

#5 Georgia (0-0) vs. #15 Baylor (0-0)
Sunday, Jan. 18, 2015 | 1 p.m. CT
Waco, Texas | Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center

WACO, Texas - The 15th-ranked Baylor's women's tennis team opens its 2015 dual-match season by hosting No. 5 Georgia on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.

"We have three great returners, but a lot of new faces and to face a team like Georgia right off the bat is going to present a lot of challenges," head coach Joey Scrivano said. "Unlike football, we don't have to go undefeated to make the playoff. We can lose a lot of matches and get better in the process. I believe we can handle our challenging schedule."

Last season, Baylor finished ranked No. 14 in the country, after compiling a 26-7 record and making the NCAA Round of 16 for the ninth time in the last 10 years. The Lady Bears bring back only three letterwinners from that team, including Ema Burgic, Kiah Generette and Blair Shankle. BU also welcomes six newcomers with three of those arrivals coming in January.

Individually, the Lady Bears have four ranked singles players led by Shankle, who is 49th. After Shankle, Burgic (No. 72) and Kelley Anderson (No. 73) are back-to-back in the rankings, while Rachael James-Baker sits at No. 101.

In 2014, Georgia posted at 24-5 record overall and return four players from a season ago, including a pair of NCAA All-Americans in Lauren Herring and Silvia Garcia. The two are ranked No. 9 and No. 83 in singles, respectively. The Bulldogs also have newcomer Hannah King ranked as the No. 91 singles player in the country. On the doubles side, freshmen Mariana Gould and Ellen Perez, are the nation's No. 43 ranked doubles team.

BU last played at Georgia in 2009, falling by a 4-3 score, but the Lady Bears did take a 4-3 decision the year prior in Waco. Baylor trails in the all-time series against Georgia, 2-8, including a 2-4 mark under Scrivano. The Lady Bears are 10-2 all-time in season openers under Scrivano.

For the match, Baylor and Georgia will play by newly adopted ITA rules, which will govern all non-conferences matches. The rules adjustments are below:

? No-ad scoring in singles and doubles.
? Three doubles matches played, each match one set to 6, with a tiebreak at 6-all.
o Once the doubles point has been clinched, the remaining doubles match shall be stopped.
? Followed (after a five-minute intermission) by six singles matches, each match 2 out of 3 sets, with tiebreaks at 6-all.
o Singles matches will be played to completion.
? No warm-up with opponents (in doubles and in singles)

Prior to the match, the team will host a session of the Baylor Cub Tennis Program at 11 a.m. Children 11-years-old and under can come to the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center on Sunday to receive free basic tennis instruction

Live results for the match will be available at BaylorBears.com with a live blog available as well.

Following the match against Georgia, Baylor will host No. 6 Virginia on Saturday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. at the Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.

For the latest news on the Baylor women's tennis team follow its official Twitter account: @BaylorWTennis.

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