UTICA, NY - The Utica University tennis team is set to face Houghton University on Friday, September 29 at 4 p.m.
 
Last Time Out: The Utica University tennis team fell to St. John Fisher 5-4 in an Empire 8 match on Sunday afternoon. The Pioneers did well in doubles as Isabella Bonapace (Leonia, NJ/Leonia) and Ellen Lyga (New Hartford, NY/Notre Dame) won their doubles match 8-4 while Selma Dizdarevic (Utica, NY/Proctor) and Paetra Heeren (Warwick, NY/Warwick Valley) also took care of business, winning their match 8-6. Ellen Lyga (New Hartford, NY/Notre Dame) continued her strong start to the season in singles winning 6-0, 6-1 and now boasts a 4-2 singles record. Lyndsey Tiedemann (Salt Point, NY/Franklin D Roosevelt) won her singles match 6-2, 6-1 to collect her second individual win of the season.
 
Down the Stretch: The Pioneers are 1-5 this season and 0-3 in conference play which has them seventh in the Empire 8. After facing Houghton, the team will host Russell Sage, Hartwick College, and SUNY Oneonta to wrap up its regular season. Utica looks to play its best down the stretch and clinch an Empire 8 Postseason berth. If the Pioneers beat Houghton they will be tied for fourth place. The team then would need at least one victory over either Sage or Hartwick to clinch a postseason appearance.
 
Ace: Ellen Lyga (New Hartford, NY/Notre Dame) turned in another strong week winning two doubles matches and two singles matches. The New Hartford, NY native won her singles matches 6-1, 6-1 against Oswego State and 6-0, 6-3 against St. John Fisher to improve her singles record to 4-2 this season.
 
Heating Up: The Pioneers are having a few players hit their stride at the right time as the team is heading into Empire 8 play. Ellen Lyga (New Hartford, NY/Notre Dame), Jackie Roberts (Herkimer, NY/Notre Dame), and Lyndsey Tiedemann (Salt Point, NY/Franklin D Roosevelt) all won their matches against Fisher and look to keep their momentum going against Houghton. Utica has started to heat up in doubles with four players winning its last match and is eager to keep its strong play going forward.
 
Scouting Houghton: The Highlanders are 0-7 this season and have started out 0-2 in conference play. The team fell to Oswego State in its last outing on Saturday, September 23 7-2. Kelsi Clapper has done well in singles winning two individual matches thus far. The duo pairs of MyaKay Bartman and Kelsi Clapper and Arija Grant and Alexandria Leary are the players to watch out for with each pair winning at least one match together this season.
 
Up Next: The team will host Russell Sage College on Saturday, October 7 at noon.