Marshall University Athletics
Tennis Set to Open Regular Season, Saturday
1/15/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 15, 2009
Complete Release in PDF Format 
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University's women's tennis team will host the University of Kentucky to open its 2009 regular season campaign. First serve is set for 11 a.m. Saturday morning at the Huntington Tennis Club. The Thundering Herd enters the preseason at No. 46, while the Wildcats are No. 23.
"This match will be a great way to start the season," Marshall's head coach John Mercer said. "It is always nice to have an SEC school and high ranked opponent come to Huntington."
Saturday's contest will be the ninth meeting between the two schools, with Kentucky leading the series, 8-0. In the most recent meeting, the Herd fell 6-1 to the Wildcats in Lexington, Ky. to open the 2008 regular season.
Senior Kellie Schmitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) is the nation's 33rd-ranked and No. 3 East Region's player in the preseason polls. Schmitt begins the spring season as the Herd's top career singles victories leader (106) and is tied with Ashley Kroh (2001-05) for career overall victories with 198.
The senior tandem of Schmitt and Karolina Soor (Lindesburg, Sweden) earned the nation's 44th and the East Region's No. 3 slots in the doubles preseason rankings.
The Herd hopes for a successful season as a result of having a mixture of experience and youth in its lineup. Marshall welcomes five returning letterwinners and three newcomers to its lineup, which includes two transfers.
"We hope the community will come out and support the team against a tough opponent," Coach Mercer added.
The Wildcats' Megan Broderick stands ranked 61st in the nation's preseason rankings. Kentucky's duo of Carolina Escamilla and Christine Johnston is 42nd in the doubles preseason polls.
Senior Jessica Keener (Reston, Va.), junior Thaddea Lock (Bristol, England), sophomore Isabell Raich (Klaus, Austria), along with Schmitt and Soor are the returning letterwinners to the Marshall lineup.
Junior transfer Deanna Bailey (McDonough, Ga.) from Elon University, sophomore transfer Catherine Kellner (Smithtown, N.Y.) from Fordham University, and freshman Kristina Koprcina (Split, Croatia) complete the Herd's 2009 season lineup.
With a sound lineup that includes three seniors, two juniors, two sophomores, and a freshman, Marshall no longer has the element of surprise but rather high expectations and aspirations for the 2009 campaign.
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Players Mentioned
