Eagles back in action from Knoxville Saturday for pair of matches
This is a weekend which many will hope for and few may be able to witness; a weekend of not only playing once but twice in a day.
Video: Jim Frederick Interview
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – This is a weekend which many will hope for and few may be able to witness; a weekend of not only playing once but twice in a day. Carson-Newman women's tennis will see to the court against formidable opponents in the Belmont Abbey Crusaders and the Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs. Both matches take place on Saturday, first against Belmont Abbey at 11 a.m. and then a nightcap with the Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Also, both matchups take place at the confines of th Knoxville Racquet Club.
"As far as the girls go this past weekend, we played a good match going down to the very last matchup on the court. Part of our issue is having to count on Ana Carla which has a mental effect on the other girls," head coach Jim Frederick said. "Our freshman played well and fought the entire way. I was very proud of all the girls and their efforts. These first five matchups will tell us a lot and that's why I set up the schedule in this way."
Saturday's matchup with the Crusaders will mark the first time these two programs see each other in action. On the flip side, the Lady Eagles and Lady Bulldogs have seen each other six previous times over the years. The Eagles are 6-0 against the Bulldogs, last winning 5-2 in February of 2020.
In their previous season, Belmont Abbey finished 1-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play before the season was cut short. For the Lady Bulldogs of Tennessee Wesleyan, they finished the shortened season 3-5 overall and 0-1 in their conference.
Meanwhile, to start the spring season last Saturday, C-N went up against tough competition in the Union (Ky.) Bulldogs, ultimately falling by a score of 4-3 as a team. Senior Hannah Price (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Natasha Forrest (Jersey, United Kingdom) were the strongholds of the Eagles during the season opener. The pair started their day off winning 6-3 as the no. 2 doubles before gaining individual singles victories to help keep the Eagles steady till the end against Union (Ky.).
Head coach Jim Frederick is really excited about the potential for this year's girls' team, especially having two-time preseason All-SAC selection junior Ana Carla Resende (Minas Gerais, Brazil) to lead the team. Frederick stated before the season that "this is the most talented girls' team we've had since I took over." Frederick knows what this team can do and hopes they can get as much of a season as possible.
"I would rather have it this way where we have a break in between matches instead of playing two back-to-back like our opponents will," Frederick said. "We know both opponents are very good and top tier, but we also know that playing these type of matches allow us to get the recruits we want and showcase our program."
Opening serve from the Knoxville Racquet Club is set for Saturday at 11 a.m. against the Belmont Abbey Crusaders before the Eagles and Tennessee Wesleyan Bulldogs square off at 7 p.m. Saturday.
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