UTICA, NY - The Utica University women's tennis team will open its 2023 season at noon on Saturday, September 9 against the Plattsburgh State Cardinals at the Utica University tennis courts.
 
In the Rear View Mirror: The Pioneers finished the 2022 season sporting a 1-9 overall record and were 1-6 in conference play. The team lost three matches by just one set and hope to turn the tide this upcoming season.
 
Season Outlook: Utica will have plenty of home cooking with seven home matches compared to just three on the road. The team will host Russell Sage, St. John Fisher, and Hartwick in conference matchups and also host Plattsburgh State, Russell Sage, Oswego State, and Oneonta State in non-conference play. All of Utica's road matches will be Empire 8 matches as the team will travel to Alfred, Nazareth, and Houghton.
 
At the Helm: Head Coach John Nigro is heading into his 37th year leading the women's tennis team and is currently the longest tenured coach at Utica. 
 
Back in Action: The Pioneers will keep its core intact with six players returning from last season. Ellen Lyga (New Hartford, NY/Notre Dame), Selma Dizdarevic (Utica, NY/Proctor), Paetra Heeran, Jackie Roberts (Herkimer, NY/Notre Dame), Madison Brand (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls), and Victoria Elefante (Clinton, NY/Clinton) all return for another season. Lyga, Dizdarevic, and Heeran all posted strong numbers for the Pioneers last season with all three earning at least three wins in singles with Lyga leading the way with an impressive 7-3 record. Lyga has an impressive resume with First Team Doubles and Singles (2020), First team singles (2022), and was a four-time Section 3 Champion in High School. The duo of Lyga and Heeran went 3-1 together and were the team's best pair. Madison Brand (Little Falls, NY/Little Falls) and Victoria Elefante (Clinton, NY/Clinton) each look to build on their freshman campaigns after each appearing in at least four matches.
 
Key Losses: Utica lost the experienced Haley Dekin (Castorland, NY/Lowville Academy) and Emily Depasquale who each appeared in multiple matches last season with Dekin logging three seasons as a Pioneer. The team will rely on its veterans and newcomers to fill the void.
 
Newcomers: Callie Ott (Rome, NY/Rome Free Academy), Lyndsey Tiedemann (Salt Point, NY/Franklin D Roosevelt), and Isabella Bonapace (Leonia, NJ/Leonia) will be the three new faces for the team this year. Ott is a Rome, NY native and played tennis at Mohawk Valley Community College for two seasons before beginning her Pioneer career. Ott boasts NJCAA All-Academic First team honors, MVCC women's tennis MVP, and is a three-time NJCAA Division 3 Women's tennis Singles Champion. Tiedemann begins her tennis career after appearing in five games for the women's soccer team last season and logging 164 minutes. Bonapace was a four-year member of the Cortland Red Dragons tennis program and notched 14 victories during her career. The graduate student will add some veteran leadership to the team and will help in both singles and doubles as she has plenty of appearances in both.
 
Scouting Plattsburgh: The Cardinals sported a 7-5 record last season and were 3-4 in conference play. The team ended the season on a positive note winning three straight games and just missed the SUNYAC Playoffs by one game. Plattsburgh turns in a massive roster with a whopping 14 players compared to just nine last season. The team did well in the transfer portal with just one incoming freshman and the rest being transfers. Nicole Svanter, Jackie Svanter, and Sarah Benowitz each return after each winning at least six games last season in singles play. The duo of Nicole and Samantha Svanter was incredible in doubles posting a 9-2 record including 5-2 SUNYAC record and ending the season on a five-game winning streak. 
 
Up Next: The Pioneers will remain home and host the Russell Sage Gators in a non-conference matchup on Wednesday, September 13 at 5 p.m.