Marshall University Athletics
Women's Tennis Set to Compete in Spartan Invitational
9/24/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sept. 24, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Complete Weekend Schedule in PDF Format
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University women's tennis team will travel to East Lansing, Mich. this weekend to compete in the third annual Spartan Invitational at the Michigan State University campus. This year will mark the 19th year Michigan State has hosted a fall invitational.
The Thundering Herd will begin the invitational at 8 a.m., Saturday with doubles competition against Cleveland State. Marshall will then face Akron and Michigan State in all day singles competition.
The invitational will conclude Sunday with an 8 a.m. doubles match against Bowling Green State and singles contests with Detroit Mercy and Louisville in all day play.
Eight teams will be competing this weekend including Michigan State, Marshall, Bowling Green State, Akron, Detroit Mercy, Toledo, Louisville, and Cleveland State.
"This will be a new tournament for us," Marshall's head coach John Mercer said. "We are looking forward to going to Michigan State and playing against good competition."
Marshall registered a 4-5 overall doubles and a 5-16 overall singles record in its opening weekend of competition against Old Dominion (ODU), Virginia (UVa), Virginia Commonwealth (VCU), South Carolina and UNC-Greensboro, at the second annual University of Virginia Invitational.
The 42nd-ranked Kellie Schmitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) went 2-1 last weekend with victories over Virginia's Emily Fraser and 100th-ranked Nadine Fahoum from Old Dominion. The senior fell to South Carolina's 54th-ranked Ana Zubori in the final day of competition.
Sophomore Isabell Raich (Klaus, Austria) also finished 2-1 in Marshall's opening weekend with victories over Old Dominion's Marija Citic and Alex Bara from Virginia Commonwealth. South Carolina's Natasa Vuckovic defeated Raich in the closing day of play.
Junior transfer Deanna Bailey (McDonough, Ga.) went 1-2 in the opening weekend and took the Herd's sole singles victory over South Carolina's Miljana Jocic in concluding action Sunday.
Bailey was the only player to have three doubles wins in Marshall's opening weekend. Schmitt and Jessica Keener (Reston, Va.) both finished 2-1 in doubles action last weekend.
"We have been working hard to prepare this week," Coach Mercer continued. "We hope to see improvement from the first weekend to this weekend."
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Players Mentioned
