STATESBORO - Georgia Southern women's tennis heads to Peachtree City, Ga., with an eye on defending its 2021 Sun Belt Conference tournament title. The Eagles begin action on Thursday, with a 2 p.m. contest against No. 10 seed Louisiana.
"I think the team is playing with a lot of spirit," Georgia Southern Head Women's Tennis Coach Sean McCaffrey said. "They're really motivated, knowing that the regular season is now over. I think we had a successful regular season despite some challenges here and there, and I believe that everyone is excited about the way things turned out. Getting that last win against App State gives us a bit of momentum going into the tournament."
The Eagles are the No. 7 seed after finishing the regular season with a 12-10 overall record and a 4-6 record in the Sun Belt. a fifth straight winning record for Georgia Southern under Coach McCaffrey. The last time the Eagles had five straight winning seasons was 1978-83. And in 2019, the Eagles advanced to the Sun Belt Championship match despite having a 4-6 mark in the league.
"I think that everyone knows that once the tournament begins, you have that blank slate," Coach McCaffrey said. "Everyone has an opportunity to shine. We're going to be expecting everyone's best game come Thursday - from ourselves and our opponents. I believe that we are in a good place, and I think if we can find a way to be efficient with how we play, through our points, take care of the little things, that will be our biggest benefit. And it should enable us to advance from one round to the next."
Georgia Southern defeated No. 3 seed (West) ULM, No. 1 seed (West) UT Arlington and No. 1 seed (East) South Alabama en route to the 2021 Sun Belt Conference tournament title. And the Eagles are 6-2 in Sun Belt tournament play under Coach McCaffrey. Despite the No. 7 seed, Coach McCaffrey knows that his team will be a focus for other squads in Peachtree City.
"We definitely have a big target on our back, no doubt about that," Coach McCaffrey said. "Everyone wants to have an opportunity to knock off the defending champions. Of the three teams that tied for first in UTA, South Alabama and Georgia State, I do believe none of them want to play us. In some ways, they're hoping other teams advance so they don't have to deal with our feistiness and the relentless attitude that we bring. No matter who we have playing, no matter what position, once they see the GS logo, and the fact that our women simply do not give up or give away easy points, that fares well for us."
Sophomore Silvia Martinez leads the Eagle lineup with a 12-6 dual-match singles record. A year after playing No. 6 singles at Ball State, she has settled in at the top singles spot for Georgia Southern and has a 6-3 mark there this season. Junior Paula Hijos has likewise been rock solid at No. 2 singles, stepping up three spots from last year, and is 6-3 at that spot this year. Senior Elizabeth Goines and sophomore Sonja Keranen have likewise been solid in singles while excelling at the No. 1 doubles position as a duo, while sophomore Sophie Wagemaker and senior Hannah Daniel have each contributed important wins throughout the year in singles and doubles. Finally, fifth-year Mila Hartig returned to the team in April and is 3-1 in singles since rejoining the Eagles. All seven student-athletes know the task ahead of them and are ready for the challenge.
"In order to get to the conference championship, you will have to go through each of those top three teams in one round after another," Coach McCaffrey said. "In order to be the best, you have to beat the best, It is as cliche as it comes, but it is what we are looking at and we are ready for that fight. Everyone's excited about it."
The entire tournament will be streamed live on ESPN+, and links to live stats and live webcast can be found on the Sun Belt Conference tournament site here.
