Marshall University Athletics
@Herd_Tennis Begins Fall Season at Tribe Invitational
9/18/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
HUNTINGTON, W.Va.-Marshall tennis will begin its 2014 fall season this weekend when the team travels to Williamsburg, Va. for the Tribe Invitational, sponsored by William & Mary.
The Tribe Invitational has become one of the top college women's tennis tournaments on the East Coast. For the first time, the format of the tournament will change from a tournament to a team style of play.
Each team will play three singles and three doubles matches at the Invite. Doubles matches will take place on Friday, Sept. 19 and Saturday, Sept. 20. One singles match will be played for each team on every day of the event.
"We are really excited to be playing our first tournament of the year," head coach John Mercer said. "I feel like we added two very good freshmen who will be able to contribute to the starting lineup and add depth to a team that was already loaded with depth."
Marshall posted a 14-8 record last spring, defeating fifth seeded Louisiana Tech 4-2 before falling to top-seeded Tulsa in the Conference USA tournament.
HAVE YOU HERD?
The Herd will enter the tournament with just one upperclassman on the squad- senior Kai Broomfield (Toronto, Canada). Broomfield played primarily in the third singles position, posting an 11-7 record with wins over three ranked opponents.
Marshall also welcomes back sophomores Derya Turhan (Bad Salzuflen, Germany), Anna Pomyatinskaya (Sochi, Russia), Anne Gulsrud (Stavenger, Norway), and Rachael Morales (Reynoldsburg, Ohio).
Turhan held the second singles position for most of the 2014 spring season, going 10-8 including wins against No. 56 BYU and No. 21 Tulsa. Pomyatinskaya boasted a 14-6 record at No. 4 singles, and Morales collected 13 wins playing sixth singles.
Four of the five returning Herd members were named to the all-conference team last spring; Turhan and Broomfield received second team honors, while Morales and Pomyatinskaya were named to the third team.
FACING OFF
Marshall could face players from any of the following teams: Wake Forest, VCU, Dartmouth, Maryland, Indiana, Penn, Virginia, and William & Mary.
Players Mentioned
