SEATTLE – Seattle U women’s tennis kicks off their spring season with a bang on Sunday at 1:00 PM, as their opponent will be none other than crosstown powerhouse Washington.
“It will be a great introduction for me,” said new head coach Joey Barnes. “UW is a solid team, and they’re going to be a challenge, but it’s also a great opportunity for us.”
The Redhawks have a few days off before traveling to Walla Walla, Wash., to face Whitman College on Feb. 1, then head to Cheney, Wash., to face Eastern Washington (Feb. 2) and Lewis-Clark State (Feb. 3). Their first homestand begins on Feb. 8, when Portland visits Seattle U. The team will get a week’s rest between then and their next match on Feb. 15 against Puget Sound before they immediately hit the road again, this time going further south to Portland. There, they will face off against Lewis and Clark on Feb. 16, followed by Montana State on Feb. 17. The last match of February involves a trip to Pullman, Wash., on Feb. 23 to match up against Brigham Young on a neutral court.
The beginning of March features three games at home, with opponents in the form of George Fox (March 8), Idaho (March 9) and New Mexico (March 13). Conference play starts on March 22 at Grand Canyon, followed by two other matches in Phoenix: Chicago State (March 23) and UTRGV (March 24). The Redhawks receive a brief respite from conference play as they face off against Cal State Fullerton at home on March 27, but jump right back into it with matchups against New Mexico State (April 5) and Kansas City (April 6) in Chicago. They have one more battle at home on April 19 against Sacramento State before the Western Athletic Conference Tournament, held this year in Brownsville, Texas from April 26-28.
“Our team is young, and the transition from the juniors to the Division I competitive stage can be overwhelming," said Coach Barnes. "Thankfully, my senior players have been there and understand what it takes to move forward, so they can lead by example. I look forward to seeing that dynamic throughout this spring season.”