DAYTON – The University of Dayton women's tennis team is set to open the 2021 season on Sunday, Jan. 31 at home against SIUE at South Regency Tennis Center in Miamisburg, Ohio. The contest is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m.

This marks the first competition for both teams and SIUE is coming off a 9-2 year in the shortened 2020 campaign. The Cougars are returning two of the most consistent performers on the team in 2021 with Jill Lambrechts and Vanessa Reinicke. Lambrechts competed in eight matches for SIUE in No. 1 singles, compiling a 6-2 record, while Reinicke competed in No.1, 2, and 3 singles and went 9-0 across all three flights.

"The team is very eager to compete after such an extended offseason," head coach Erica Echko said. "I'm excited to try out some new doubles combinations and see some of our new players in action. We are familiar with SIUE's team as we palyed in their fall invite in 2019 and had some good matches."

It is the first of 16 matches on the Flyers schedule in 2021 and the first of 11 home matches. The Flyers return six from last year's team. Senior Kelly Pleiman returns after spending time in both of the first two flights in 2020 along with sophomore Paige Kompa. The two were the only ones across the 12 matches in 2020 to see time in those two spots. Other returnees include redshirt junior Zoe Woods, junior Claire Ghidotti, and sophomores Elizabeth Hamilton and Erica Wojcikiewicz.

The Flyers also feature three new faces on this year's team. Freshmen Julia Bays and Sarah DeMarco will make their collegiate debuts this season while junior Natalie Stanton comes as a transfer from Northern Colorado.