QU Women's Tennis Opens 2015-16 Season with Sacred Heart Doubles Festival on Saturday

Saturday, September 12

Fairfield, CT

9 AM

Quinnipiac University

Sacred Heart University

QU Women's Tennis Opens 2015-16 Season with Sacred Heart Doubles Festival on Saturday

9/11/2015 1:28:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: QU Sports Information

DOUBLE DOWN
The Quinnipiac women's tennis team kicks off the 2015-16 campaign with its annual trip to the Sacred Heart Doubles Festival where the Bobcats will compete in a round robin tournament with Sacred Heart, Providence, Hartford and Fordham on Saturday, Sept. 12 beginning at 9 A.M.

2014-15 RECAP
Once again, the Quinnipiac women's tennis team had a remarkable season in which they reached the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in program history, the most by any Quinnipiac Athletics team. The Bobcats went undefeated in MAAC play for the second straight season to win their second straight conference championship. The Bobcats went 14-9, their most wins since the 2010-11 season and the fifth straight double-digit win season.

WHAT AN HONOR
Director of Tennis and Head Coach Paula Miller was named the MAAC Women's Tennis Coach of the Year in her first season at the helm of the program. Miller led the Bobcats to a regular season and tournament championship, going 10-0 against MAAC opponents. It is the second straight season that a Quinnipiac women's tennis head coach won the coach of the year award as former head coach Mike Quitko was honored in his final season at the helm in 2013-14.

GUESS WHO'S BACK
The Bobcats return six players from last year's championship squad with each player coming from the junior or senior class. The senior class consists of just two members led by Sophia Dzulynsky (Miramar, Florida) and Nicole Keklik (Stratford, Connecticut) while four Bobcats make up the junior class consisting of Rachel Horton (Stamford, Connecticut), Kelsi Oliphant (Calgary, Alberta), Sitilia Rencheli (Sarasota, Florida) and Sydney Young (Austin, Texas).

FRESH FACES
Four new players join the Quinnipiac women's tennis team for the 2015-16 season with two coming from California, one from New Jersey and one from Ohio. Jennifer Lu (Cypress, California) and Proyfon Lohaphaisan (Santa Clarita, California) represent the Golden State, Adrian Young (Orange, Ohio) hails from the Buckeye State and Alexandra Mircea (Glen Rock, New Jersey) represents the Garden State.

THE DZUL
After a strong junior season, Dzulynsky is second on the active roster in career wins, posting a 75-59 record through three seasons of college tennis. Last season, Dzulynsky went 33-25 with 13 wins in singles and 20 wins in doubles. She was also named All-MAAC First Team at No. 2 doubles and All-MAAC Second Team at No. 1 singles. Dzulynsky also was among the Bobcats' leaders for wins in postseason play, tying former Quinnipiac women's tennis star Jacqueline Raynor and Michelle Dassa for three wins.

HORTON HEARS A WHO
Horton returned to the court in the spring season after recovering from an injury and put up a highly successful season. The junior went 22-12, setting career-highs in overall wins and singles wins (10). Through two seasons, Horton has already posted a 41-19 record.

NICOLE'S WORLD
One of the leaders on the team, Keklik put forth another good season, nearly matching her career-highs from the season before. Keklik tied her career-high with three singles victories and won four doubles matches for a seven win season, just behind 2013-14's eight win total.

SITILIA'S WAY
Rencheli made a big impact on the Bobcats in 2014-15 after transferring from VCU following her freshman season. Rencheli went 25-15, including an impressive 17-8 mark in doubles play. She played primarily at No. 3 singles and No. 3 doubles with Sophia Dzulynsky, a tandem that was hard to beat. Rencheli enters the upcoming season with a 28-19 overall record.

YOUNG AND FREE
With the graduation of Raynor, Young takes over the top of the Quinnipiac women's tennis active roster record books with and 80-40 record through just two seasons of play. The junior from Austin, Texas went 39-20, including 18-10 in singles and 21-10 in doubles. Young was pivotal for the Bobcats in the MAAC Championship match against Niagara, winning the clinching match to send the Bobcats to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season.

HONOR ROLL
Every member of the Bobcats starting six was honored with a postseason award, just showing how dominant the Bobcats were in 2014-15. Quinnipiac women's tennis swept the doubles All-MAAC team, with Raynor and Dassa at No. 1 doubles, Horton and Young at No. 2 doubles and Dzulynsky and Rencheli at No. 3 doubles. On the singles side, Raynor was named All-MAAC First Team at No. 2 singles and Horton made the All-MAAC First Team at No. 5 singles. On the second team, Dzulynsky secured the No. 1 slot while Rencheli was No. 3, Young was No. 4 and Ariana Launie was No. 6

UNRIVALED TALENT
The Bobcats have put up an impressive run against MAAC competition in their first two seasons in the conference. Overall, the Bobcats are 20-0 against MAAC opponents, including a 16-0 record in the regular season. Even more impressive, the Bobcats have yet to drop a doubles match against MAAC opponents, as they have gone 45-0 in two seasons and are 83-11 in singles play since joining the MAAC.

NEXT UP?
After wrapping up the Sacred Heart Doubles Festival, the Bobcats will prepare for the Quinnipiac Invitational next weekend, with play beginning at 10 A.M. on Friday, Sept. 18, continuing at 9 A.M. on Saturday, Sept. 19 and wrapping up on Sunday, Sept. 20 at 9 A.M. Competing in the Quinnipiac Invitational will be Drexel, Fairfield, Hartford, Providence, Sacred Heart, Seton, UConn and URI.