Utica, NY – The Utica College women's tennis team is set to begin its season on Saturday. The Pioneers will battle Empire 8 opponent Elmira College on the road, starting at 12 p.m.
 
2016 Season: UC finished last year with a 3-10 overall record to go with its 1-7 record in the Empire 8. The lone win within the conference last season came against Elmira, coming by a score of 5-4. The Pioneers earned a clean sweep against SUNY Delhi, winning 9-0 at home. Utica also won in decisive fashion against Wells College, winning eight matches to one on the road.
 
Meet the Players: With seven returners and five new faces to the team this season, this fall's roster is comprised of two freshmen, three sophomores, four juniors, one senior, and two graduate students. Take a look at the full list of names on the 2017 women's tennis squad: Bianca Bockhaus (Shenorock, NY/Somers), Rebecca Bruce (St. Johnsville, NY/Oppenheim-Ephatah-St. Johnsville), Deanna DiFabio (Oneida, NY/Oneida), Shannon Fillmore (Somerset, NJ/Franklin), Sara Gribanoff (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham), Monica Johnson (Liverpool, NY/Liverpool), Madeline McIlnay (York, PA/York Suburban), Christa Pham (Utica, NY/T.R. Proctor), Julianne Pieros (Alpha, NJ/Phillipsburg), Kelly Sangare (Brooklyn, NY/Canarcie), Elma Selimovic (Utica, NY/Proctor), and Lulu Zhang (Wenzhou, China/Newcomers).
 
Zhang's Big Year: Returning for another season as a graduate student, Lulu Zhang (Wenzhou, China/Newcomers) looks to continue her strong play from last year. Zhang finished the 2016 season with a team best singles record of 9-3. She went on a four-match winning streak to close out the year, and won eight of her last nine singles matches. It will be exciting to see what Zhang can accomplish in her last season as a Pioneer.

Season Overlook: UC opens the season with trips to Elmira and Hartwick. On September 13^th, the Pioneers begin a three-match home stand against Oswego, Alfred, and Nazareth. They will head on the road again for battles with SUNY Delhi on September 20^th and Houghton on the 23^rd. After a couple more home competitions, Utica will host Stevens on October 1^st for the final home matchup of the season. Finally to close out the fall season, the team will travel to Troy, NY to take on E8 foe Sage.
 
Looking Ahead: After the match against Elmira College, the Pioneers will be on the road again to face another conference opponent in Hartwick. The competition is scheduled for September 6^th, beginning at 4 p.m.