UTICA, NY - The Utica University tennis team has officially delved into the heart of Empire 8 play, but at the midway point of the conference campaign, they'll take a momentary break, with a midweek matchup today against Oneonta, before beginning the second half of the Empire 8 schedule this Friday against Hartwick. Read below to hear about the team's travels last week while also getting ready for their pair of matchups this week!
 
This Week's Action:
 
Today, September 24th, the Pioneers will head south to take on Oneonta State. That match starts at 4:00 PM at the Dr. Heissan '63 Courts.
 
This Friday, September 26th, the Pioneers will return home for a meeting with Oneonta's other squad, the Hartwick Hawks. That match starts at 4:00 PM over at the Utica Tennis Courts. Be sure to scan the QR codes around the facility or check out our tennis schedule page for that day's program.
 
Recapping Last Week:
 
The orange and blue battled a couple of conference opponents last weekend in a Friday-Sunday series, traveling to Nazareth on Friday, September 19th, before making a return trip to the ROC for a clash with the SUNY Geneseo Knights on Sunday, September 21st.
 
At Nazareth: Against the Golden Flyers, the Pioneers shifted their stack structure, giving some new opportunities to a few Pioneer players.
 
Kimora-Lee Simmons (Utica, NY/Thomas R. Proctor) and Victoria Elefante (Clinton, NY/Clinton) get the nod to participate in the #1 doubles slot for the team, while the #2 doubles pairing of Hannah Loebbaka (Saugerties, NY/Saugerties) and Hannah Slater (Schenectady, NY/Colonie Central) got their doubles debut, as that was the first match that the Hannah's had played alongside each other. The freshmen duo of Saide Burton and Adia Graham (Sherburne, NY/Sherburne-Earlville) also played their first match together, slotting in at the #3 doubles spot and managing to take a game from their opponent.
 
This shifting extended to the singles stack as well, as all six of the doubles participants got the call to play in singles action. Simmons made her #1 singles debut, showing in a new slot along with Elefante (#2 singles), Loebakka (#3 singles), Slater (#4 singles), Burton (#5 singles), and Graham (#6 singles), who also played their first match in those respective spots.
 
At Geneseo: Against the Knights, top talent Lydnsey Tiedemann returned to the lineup, getting the call to participate alongside Simmons in the #1 doubles match, while also taking on Geneseo's top player, Natalie Pipes, in the #1 singles bout.
 
In singles, Simmons moved down to the #2 spot for the returning Tiedemann, while Loebakka, Burton, and Graham remained in the #3, #5, and #6 spots, respectively. Camryn Donley (West Winfield, NY/Mount Markham) also made her weekend debut, battling in the #4 singles matchup.
 
Scouting This Week's Opponents:
 
Oneonta: The Pioneers face their final non-conference opponent today, heading south to the Dragon's Den for a meeting with Oneonta State. The Red Dragons are currently 2-2, with a pair of narrow 4-3 wins against Bard and Houghton. Their two losses come courtesy of Oswego State (1-6) and their next-door neighbor Hartwick (0-7), who the Pioneers battle on Friday.
 
Both of Oneonta's wins have come thanks to their dominance in the doubles portion of each match, with the Red Dragons sweeping Houghton in the pairings, and taking two doubles matches against Bard, including an exciting 7-5 victory thanks to the duo of Kiersten Rufrano and Dakota Jimenez.
 
The Red Dragon's top singles talent is Haley Peck, who's posted a 1-3 record in the #1 singles slot this season. The rest of the Red Dragon lineup has remained pretty consistent, with Annika Cripe at #2, Taylor Plue at #3, Kiersten Rufrano at #4, and Dakota Jimenez at #5. The #6 slot has been occupied by either Ashley Glaviano, or Trinity Lyons.
 
Hartwick: The Pioneers will return to Empire 8 action against Hartiwick on Friday, welcoming the Hawks for the second matchday in Utica of the 2025 season. Hartwick is 6-1 on the year, with their only loss coming to a tough Ithaca side by a 6-1 margin. The Hawks have made quick work of the rest of their opposition, as Geneseo has had the next closest game with the Oneonta-based team, falling to the Hawks 5-2. Hartwick is 3-0 in Empire 8 play, with wins against Alfred, Geneseo, and Brockport.
 
The #1 singles slot has been split between Samantha Lantzy and Phoebe Olson, as the former has put together a 3-1 record in the top spot, while the latter is 2-1 in the top spot. The rest of the lineup is spread out, as the #2 singles slot has seen four different players, and slots #3 and #4 seeing three different players each.
 
Giana Leggireri and Phoebe Olson make up the top doubles spot, holding a record of 4-2 in #1 doubles. Samantha Lantzy and Lily Vanuga have a 5-1 record in #2 doubles, and Maddi Morrison and Maggie Van Valkenburgh also have a 5-1 record, but in #3 doubles.
 
After This Week's Competition: The Pioneers will have just a single opponent to focus on next week, when St. John Fisher comes to Utica on Saturday, October 4th. That match is slated for a 1:00 PM start time.