BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The Samford University women's tennis team will begin play in its 2014 dual-match season Saturday at noon (CST) as the Bulldogs welcome the Kennesaw State Owls to the Samford Tennis Complex for a highly-anticipated, non-conference matchup.
 
Samford (0-0) enters the spring season boasting all six returning starters from last year's squad, as well as talented transfer from the University of Alabama, Yasmeen Ebada. The Bulldogs' 2013-14 roster is comprised of returning letterwinners Kristin Lewis, Emily Mallory, AnnMarie Lyon, Stephanie N'tcha, Carita Moolman, Jessica Northcutt and Sarah Gail Niebur, and redshirt freshman Lauren Caballero.
 
A year ago, Samford completed its 2013 spring season with a 9-15 overall record and a stellar 8-3 mark when playing at home. The Bulldogs opened the year with a solid 6-4 record.
 
Samford's N'tcha will begin the 2014 season in historic fashion Saturday as the Bulldogs' junior native of Abomey-Calavi, Benin, will open dual-match competition as the 72^nd-ranked singles player in the nation by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA).
 
With the prestigious distinction, N'tcha will enter Samford lore by becoming the first women's player in school history to start the season ranked amongst the nation's top-75 players.
 
N'tcha's 2014 singles ranking is due in large part to a stellar performance in the 2013 fall tournament season. N'tcha completed the fall with a dominant 9-4 record and with key singles victories against nationally-ranked opponents No. 9 Julia Jones of Ole Miss and No. 53 Klara Vyskocilova of Tulane.
 
N'tcha, who often faced some of the top players in the nation last fall, also picked up a momentous singles win over LSU's Ella Taylor. With her historic fall triumphs, N'tcha advanced all the way to the semifinal round of the USTA/ITA Southern Regional championship hosted by Auburn University.
 
Kennesaw State (0-0) posted a 9-12 overall record last season, including a 4-4 Atlantic Sun Conference mark. The Owls advanced to the A-Sun Conference Championships where they fell to USC Upstate in the first round, 4-3.

Fourth-year head coach Jeffery Kutac returns six letterwinners from last year's squad including senior Alexandra Apostu and junior Virginie Stein. Both players are two-time A-Sun Conference All-First Team selections and were named to the 2013 conference all-academic team.
 
Last season, Samford and Kennesaw State squared off in a non-conference duel held at the Samford Tennis Complex as the Bulldogs earned a 6-1 home victory.
 
In the 2013 contest, Samford tallied the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead. The Bulldogs then earned straight-set victories in singles play from Northcutt, N'tcha, Moolman and Mallory. On court No. 1, Samford's Lewis hung on to defeat the Owls' Stein, 6-3, 3-6, 6-2.
 
With a victory Saturday, Samford head coach David Vest would reach the prestigious 200-win plateau for his career. Vest, who will begin his sixth season at the helm of the Bulldogs on Saturday, owns a 199-135 career record, as well as an 87-51 mark at Samford.
 
Following Saturday's 2014 season-opening contest against Kennesaw State, the Samford University women's tennis team will next be in action Friday at 2 p.m. (CT) as the Bulldogs continue their early, two-match homestand versus the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders to be held at the Samford Tennis Complex.