Feb. 3, 2011
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -
The Samford University women's tennis team will begin play in its 2011 dual-match season Friday at 4 p.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs welcome the Belmont Bruins to the Samford Tennis Center for a non-conference contest.
Samford heads into the match with a full head of steam after turning in a dominant performance at the Samford Winter Invitational over the weekend. In the three-day tournament, which also featured players from Georgia State, Mercer and UAB, the Bulldogs compiled an impressive 15-2 record in singles play and an unblemished 6-0 mark in the doubles competition.
Samford's doubles tandem comprised of Taylor Morgan and Lindsey Mallory earned the doubles championship title of the 2011 Samford Winter Invitational. The Bulldogs' pair combined to register a perfect 2-0 record in the tournament.
As a team, Samford heads into the 2011 season with high expectations. Fourth-year head coach David Vest and the Bulldogs maintain aspirations of winning the Southern Conference title in only their third season as members of the prestigious league.
Samford's 2011 roster includes eight returning letterwinners, six upperclassmen and five returning starters. The Bulldogs also boast talented seniors Andrie Meiring and Morgan.
Samford returned all but one player from its 2010 roster that completed the season with a 17-6 overall record and a near-perfect 9-1 mark in SoCon play. The Bulldogs placed second in the final conference standings and tallied a 4-3 victory against 67th-ranked Tulane on March 20.
With the experience that Samford gained in 2010 and a roster chalk-full of talented upperclassmen, Vest's Bulldogs seemed poised to make a run at the SoCon championship title this season.
Belmont (0-2) heads into Friday's contest with aspirations of snapping its season-opening two-match losing streak. On Jan. 28, the Bruins were defeated at home by Middle Tennessee 5-2, before losing on the road at Chattanooga on Jan. 29, 6-1.
Following Friday's season-opening matchup against Belmont, the Samford women's tennis team will next be in action Feb. 12 at 11 a.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs square off against the Charlotte 49ers on the road in Charlotte, N.C.
