TULSA, Okla. – The Old Dominion University women’s tennis team will kick off 2014 action at the Hurricane Invite in Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a tournament that includes the following teams: Wyoming, North Texas and host Tulsa at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center starting on Friday morning and running through Sunday.
ODU’s head coach, Dom Manilla discussed the upcoming season, “I am very excited for this year. We have freshmen and sophomores playing at the top for us, which shows the commitment our staff has been putting towards recruiting. We will be young, with a lot of energy. I am looking forward to fighting hard and having something to prove all season long.”
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This Weekend’s Participating Lady Monarchs
Nikol Hristova – 5’6 – Sr. – Sofia, Bulgaria
Ingrid Vojcinakova – 5’8 – Fr. – Zillina, Slovakia
Nika Khomolovska – 5’2 – Sr. – Odessa, Ukraine
Marijana Novakovic – 5’8 – Fr. – Brcko, Bosnia & Herzegovina
Ivana Vukovic – 5’9 – So. – Osijek, Coatia
Melissa Esnal Olguin – 5’7 – Sr. – San Sebastian, Spain
Faith Atiso – 6’0 –Jr. – Virginia Beach, Va.
Meet the Other Participating Teams
TULSA
The International Tennis Association ranks the Golden Hurricane women’s tennis team No. 28, it is their highest ranking since the 2000-01 season when it opened at No. 26.
Senior Samantha Vickers and freshman Yelena Nemchen are both ranked in the top-50. Nemchen is ranked at No. 46 and Vickers is ranked at No. 47.
Vickers went 9-4 during the 2013 fall season and finished on a five-match winning streak. Nemchen went 5-2 in the fall and went 4-1 at the USTA/ITA Central Regional.
HOUSTON
Junior Elena Kordolaimi and sophomore Maria Andrea Cardenas each clinched singles championships at the Cougar Classic this past fall. Kordolaimi and Cardenas combined that weekend to go 6-0 and not lose a single set. Last November, Cardenas was picked to play for team Venezuela in Fed Cup play.
WYOMING
The Cowgirls doubles team of senior Veronica Popovici and freshman Dorottya Jonas reached the semifinals of the 2013 ITA Mountain Regional Championships this past fall. Popovici also finished with an impressive 8-2 singles record, while Jonas completed the fall 9-5 in singles competition. The duo finished the fall season with an 8-5 overall doubles record.
This Weekend’s Schedule
FRIDAY
8:30 a.m. Doubles
Vickers/Enrique (Tul) vs. Kseniya Bardabush/Alexis Thoma (N. Tx)
Veronica Popovici/Dorottya Jonas (WYO)vs.Nikol Hristova/Melissa Esnal Olguin(OD
Sant’Anna/Leenabanchong (Tul) vs. Joubert/Valenzuela (N. Tx)
Parizher/Vasileva (WYO) vs. Vojcinakova/Novakovic (OD)
Kuricova/Nemchen (Tul) vs. Shestakova/Galieva (N. Tx)
Zhelyazkova/Gecheva (WYO) vs. Khmolovska/Vukovic (OD)
Followed by:
Marcela Cichon/Saana Saarteier (Tul) vs. Carol Benito/ Faith Atiso
Vickers/Enrique (Tul) vs. Popovici/Jonas (WYO)
Sant’Anna/Leenabanchong (Tul) vs. Parizher/Vasileva (WYO)
Kuricova/Nemchen (Tul) vs Zhelyazkova/Gecheva (WYO)
Bardabush/Thoma (N. Tx) vs. Hristova/Esnal Olguin (OD)
Joubert/Valenzuela (N. Tx) vs. Vojcinakova/Novakovic (OD)
Shestakova/Galieva (N. Tx) vs. Khmolovska/Vukovic (OD)
Carol Benito/ Faith Atiso vs. Alma Espinosa/Dane Joubert
NOON Singles
Veronica Popovici (WYO) vs. Kseniya Bardabush (N. Tx)
Dorottya Jonas (WYO) vs. Anastasiya Shestakova (N. Tx)
Jessica Parizher (WYO) vs. Alexis Thoma (N. Tx)
Silviya Zhelyazkova (WYO) vs. Agustina Valenzuela (N. Tx)
Christa Gecheva (WYO) vs. Kamilla Galieva (N. Tx)
Alena Vasileva (WYO) vs. Ana Sofia Cordero (N. Tx)
Followed by:
Renata Kuricova (Tul) vs. Faith Atiso (OD)
Marcela Cichon (Tul) vs. Alma Espinosa (WYO)
Carol Benito (Tul) vs. Dane Joubert (N. Tx)
Samantha Vickers (Tul) vs. Nikol Hristova (OD)
Yelena Nemchen (Tul) vs. Ingrid Vojcinakova (OD)
Isaura Enrique (Tul) vs. Nika Khmolovska (OD)
Saana Saarteinen (Tul) vs. Marijana Novakovic (OD)
Dobby Leenabanchong (Tul) vs. Ivana Vukovic (OD)
Maria Sant’Anna (Tul) vs. Melissa Esnal Olguin (OD)
SATURDAY
8:30 a.m. Doubles
Vickers/Enrique (Tul) vs. Hristova/Esnal Olguin (OD)
Sant’Anna/Leenabanchong (Tul) vs. Vojcinakova/Novajovic (OD)
Kuricova/Nemchen (Tul) vs. Khmolovska/Vukovic (OD)
Thoma/Bardabush (N. Tx) Popovici/Jonas (WYO)
Joubert/Valenzuela (N. Tx) vs. Parizher/Vasileva (WYO)
Shestakova/Galieva (N. Tx) vs. Zhelyazkova/Gecheva (WYO)
Followed by:
Marcel Chichon/Saana Saarteier (Tul) vs. Alma Espinosa/Dane Joubert
Samantha Vickers vs. Veronica Popovici (WYO)
Yelena Nemchen (Tul) vs. Dorottya Jonas (WYO)
Isaura Enrique (Tul) vs. Jessica Parizher (WYO)
Saana Saarteinen (Tul) vs. Silviya Zhelyazkova (WYO)
Dobby Leenabanchong (Tul) vs. Christa Gecheva (WYO)
Maria Sant’Anna (Tul) vs. Alena Vasileva (WYO)
Followed by:
Kseniya Bardabush vs. Nikol Hristova
Ingrid Vojcinakova vs. Anastasiya Shestakova
Nika Khmolovska vs. Alexis Thoma
Marijana Novakovic vs. Agustina Valenzuela
Ivana Vukovic vs. Kamilla Galieva
Esnal Oguin vs. Ana Sofia Cordero
Renata Kuricova (Tul) vs. Alma Espinosa (WYO)
Marcela Cichon (Tul) vs. Dane Joubert (N. Tx)
Carol Benito (Tul) vs. Faith Atiso (OD)
SUNDAY
8:30 a.m. Singles
Veronica Popovici vs. Nikol Hristova
Dorottya Jonas vs. Ingrid Vojcinakova
Jessica Parizher vs. Niki Khmolovska
Silviya Zhelyazkova vs. Marijana Novakovic
Christa Gecheva vs. Ivana Vukovic
Alena Vasileva vs. Esnal Olguin
Followed by:
Renata Kuricova (Tul) vs. Dane Joubert (N. Tx)
Marcela Cichon (Tul) vs. Faith Atiso (N. Tx.)
Carol Benito (Tul) vs. Alma Espinosa
Samantha Vickers (Tul) vs. Kseniya Bardabush
Yelena Nemchen (Tul) vs. Anastasiya Shestakova
Isaura Enrique (Tul) vs. Alexis Thoma
Saana Saarteinen (Tul) Vs. Agustina Valenzuela
Dobby Leenabanchong (Tul) vs. Kamilla Galieva
Maria Sant’Anna (Tul) vs. Ana Sofia Cordero
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