BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford women's tennis team will open Southern Conference play by hosting Mercer Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. at the Samford Tennis Complex.
 
Samford enters the match with an overall record of 5-8 so far this season. The Bulldogs are coming off a 7-0 loss at #39 South Alabama last Saturday.
 
In singles for Samford so far this season, senior Jessica Northcutt has played at the No. 1 singles spot, posting a record of 3-9. Fellow senior Carita Moolman has played at the No. 2 singles spot for Samford, and has a record of 4-7. Another senior, Iva Parapunova has played at No. 3 singles, accumulating a record of 4-9.
 
Sophomore Ellie Gerlach has played most matches at No. 4 singles, posting a record of 5-7 (5-6 at No. 4, 0-1 at No. 5). Sophomore Savannah Wood has a record of 7-6 (7-4 at No. 5 and 0-2 at No. 4). The No. 6 singles spot has been split between junior Annika Hepp (3-4) and freshman Georgina Jupp (2-2).
 
In doubles, the team has been led by the pair of Northcutt and Moolman at No. 1, posting a record of 8-4. Gerlach and Hepp have a record of 4-3 (3-3 at No. 2 and 1-0 at No. 3). Parapunova and Wood (4-2), Jupp and Wood (1-3) and Hepp and Wood (0-1) have also played at No. 3 doubles.
 
Mercer is currently 8-9 overall and 0-2 in Southern Conference action. The Bears are coming off a 6-1 loss to Furman on Sunday.
 
Samford and Mercer met twice last season. The regular-season meeting in Macon, Ga., ended in a 6-1 Samford victory. The teams also played in the first round of the SoCon Tournament, with Samford earning a 4-0 win.
 
A full recap and results will be posted to www.samfordsports.com following the completion of the match.