NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion University women’s tennis team will host their final two home matches of the 2014 regular season this weekend, as the Lady Monarchs will take-on South Alabama on Friday, April 4, and then Morgan State on Sunday, April 6. Both matches are slated to begin at 12:00 p.m. at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center. Sunday’s match against Morgan State will also be Senior Day for ODU’s Nika Khmolovska and Melissa Esnal Olguin.
SUNDAY IS SENIOR DAY FOR TWO LADY MONARCHS
Senior Melissa Esnal Olguin (San Sebastian, Spain) is excelling at the No. 5 and 6 single’s positions with an 8-3 record, and has won two matches in a row. Fellow Lady Monarch senior, Nika Khmolovska (Odessa, Ukraine) has performed brilliantly for Old Dominion, possessing a 7-5 single’s record this season. Besides just wins on the court, Esnal Olguin and Khmolovska bring much needed experience and leadership to this year’s squad.
ODU sophomore, Nikol Hristova has stepped up into the No. 1 singles role nicely this year. Hristova is 9-4 on the season and is currently on a three game winning streak. Hristova and Esnal Olguin are 7-2 in double’s matches played together.
Ingrid Vojcinakova has started all 14 matches at the No. 2 position as a freshman. She also boasts a 9-4 record and has won seven of her last ten matches.
Vojcinakova’s freshman counterpart and doubles partner, Marijana Novakovic has proved her versatility, starting at the No. 3, 4 and 5 positions this season. Novakovic’s combined record in those positions is 6-6. ODU’s freshman tandem of Vojcinakova and Novakovic are 5-4 on the year in double’s play.
Meet South Alabama
With its home schedule wrapped up, the University of South Alabama women's tennis team closes out the 2014 regular season with five straight on the road, starting with a three-match swing through Virginia this week.
The Jaguars will face Norfolk State Thursday (1 p.m.), Old Dominion Friday (11 a.m.) and Richmond Saturday (9 a.m.). South Alabama has won all four previous meetings with ODU, the last a 5-2 decision over the 50th-ranked Monarchs in 2009.
"ODU has a very strong team this year; I feel like they're the same as us," South Alabama head coach Jaco Keyser said. "They're a young team on an upward swing. I think if we can squeak out those matches or be competitive in those matches, I think that will be a good guide for how we'll do in conference."
Meet Morgan State
Morgan State’s roster features two former Lady Monarchs in: Arina Alilueva (Senior/ Kursk, Russia) and Margarita Belyakova (Senior/Moscow, Russia). Both Alilueva and Belvakova played their freshmen seasons at Old Dominion, before transferring to Morgan State.
The Bears are coached by Sean Holcomb-Jones, who is in the midst of his third season at the helm at Morgan State. Two seasons ago, Holcomb-Jones led the men’s squad to the 2012 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) North Division title. Prior to coming to Morgan State, Holcomb-Jones spent two seasons as an assistant coach at The George Washington University.
DON’T FORGET THAT THE C-USA WOMEN’S TENNIS TOURNAMENT IS AT ODU – APRIL 16-20!
The Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center will be hosting Old Dominion’s first ever Conference USA Championship event on April 16-20, when the C-USA Women’s Tennis Tournament will take place. DON’T MISS OUT on your chance to watch some of the country’s top tennis talent on display in Norfolk, Va. FOR FREE!
MORE INFO ON 2014 C-USA TOURNAMENT: Conference USA Women’s Tennis Championship Central Page
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