UTICA, NY - The Utica College women's tennis team is set to host back-to-back Empire 8 matches this weekend at the Utica College Tennis Courts … The Pioneers welcome St. John Fisher on Saturday and then Stevens Institute of Technology on Sunday … Both matches are scheduled to start at 1 p.m.

ZHANG & MORREALE VICTORIOUS: Sophomore Lu Lu Zhang (Wenzhou, China /Newcomers) and junior Gabriella Morreale (Utica, NY/T.R Proctor) partnered up in doubles competition this past weekend for an 8-3 victory and both also won their singles match … Zhang won her singles match by scores of 6-1 and 6-0 while Morreale won by a score of 6-3 and 6-1.

CARDINAL REPORT: St. John Fisher is currently winless at 0-8 overall as well as 0-6 in the Empire 8 … The Cardinals are coming off two home losses to Oswego State, 7-2, and Hartwick, 6-3) this past weekend.

SCOUTING THE DUCKS: Stevens presently holds a 5-2 overall record including a 4-2 mark in conference play … SIT has won five of its last six matches including two shutouts against Fisher and Houghton … The Ducks only two losses came to top-ranked Hartwick and Ithaca who are both undefeated and currently in first place in the league.

AROUND THE E8: Hartwick (7-0, 5-0 E8) and Ithaca (5-0, 5-0 E8) are currently undefeated and sit atop the Empire 8 standings … Nazareth (3-2, 3-1 E8) occupies third followed by Stevens (5-2, 4-2 E8) in fourth place and Houghton (6-2, 3-2 E8) in fifth … Elmira (3-4, 2-3 E8), Alfred (0-7, 0-4 E8), Fisher (0-8, 0-6 E8) and Utica (0-7, 0-3) round out the standings.

NEXT WEEKEND: The Pioneers will host two more back-to-back matches next weekend in Empire 8 action … UC welcomes Alfred University on Saturday Oct. 10^th before greeting Nazareth on Sunday Oct. 11^th to wrap up regular season conference play … The matches will be held at the UC Courts and are set for 1 p.m. both days.