LAKE CHARLES – The quest for Southland Conference gold begins Friday afternoon when the No. 4 seed McNeese women's tennis team begin tournament play against a very strong fifth-seeded New Orleans squad with first serve slated for a 2 p.m. start at the Schlief Tennis Center in Nacogdoches, Texas.
Cowgirls head coach
Helena Besovic is prepped and ready to lead her talented team into battle as the Cowgirls enter their fourth-consecutive league tournament and second straight under Besovic's tenure. McNeese has come close to the joys of a postseason title having advanced to the semi-finals of the tournament the past two seasons. The Pokes own a 2-2 record in SLC Tournament play since 2014.
McNeese earned the fourth seed after posting a 14-8 regular season mark and a 7-4 record in league play. For the fourth consecutive season, the Cowgirls posted double-digit wins while the program has sustained itself as one of the top in the league after having collected 10 or more wins for the 15
th time in school history.
The Pokes are led by Southland Conference Freshman of the Year
Giovanna Fioretti who was named the league's top rookie after one of the most impressive start-up campaigns in McNeese history. The Monsano, Italy native enters the tournament with a 14-6 overall record and an 8-3 conference singles mark. She has picked up seven wins in her last 10 matches and enters the postseason having won her last two-singles bouts.
A pair of sophomores in
Hannah Brett and
Sarah Jurakova will each lead the team into postseason play as both were named to the 2016 All-Southland Conference singles teams. Brett has been one of the most outstanding athletes to watch as she has won 13 straight singles matches for a 17-3 overall record and 9-0 perfection in SLC action. Brett is the only Cowgirl to have won her last 10 matches. Jurakova continues to amaze those who attend McNeese tennis matches as she enters with a 14-5 mark and 7-2 SLC record as well as eight wins in her last 10 contests.
With the return of senior
Klaudia Gawlik to the singles lineup, the Cowgirls are sure to make one of the deepest runs in school history. The team is a combined 89-42 in singles play, one of the best records in the nation. Senior
Anastasija Trubich will round out the lineup having won eight straight matches, including seven in league play.
New Orleans finished the regular season with a 15-5 overall mark and 7-4 league record to help earn a No. 5 seed. UNO capped off the season winning four out of its last five matches. The Privateers are led by Anna Segarra Rius from the top spot as she finished the season with a 13-6 overall mark and 7-4 league record in singles. UNO has six players with 10 or more singles wins.
McNeese was topped by New Orleans in the regular season as the Privateers captured a 5-2 win over the Cowgirls in New Orleans.
The winner of the first round match will advance to take on the winner of A&M-Corpus Christi and Lamar in the semi-finals Saturday at 2 p.m.
Fans can follow updates from this weekend by following @McNeeseTennis on Twitter. Daily updates will also be provided on the McNeese Tennis Facebook page.
