Sept. 19, 2013

COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina women’s tennis team will get the 2013 fall campaign underway Friday in Williamsburg, Va., at the Tribe Invitational.

South Carolina head coach Kevin Epley, now in his second year at the helm, will take all 10 members of the squad to Williamsburg. The Gamecocks return five letterwinners from last year’s team and two redshirts, and added three newcomers to the squad with a pair of freshmen and one transfer. With a full year under his belt now, Epley sees this year’s team as more prepared and ready to get the fall tournament season kicked off on Friday.

“We feel like the energy is really right this year in regard to effort, in terms of team commitment and working together,” Epley said. “We’ve been working really hard off the court, sort of building a strength and conditioning foundation. Everyone’s feeling strong, getting that foundation, working as a team and excited about the tournament. We’re feeling excited ourselves as coaches to watch some of the new ones compete and see some of the ones who were here last year help them with learning our system.”

Senior Katerina Popova returns as the highest ranked Gamecock this fall at No. 77 in the preseason rankings. Popova earned second-team All-SEC honors last season while leading the team in dual match victories with a 14-8 record. She also held a stellar 16-3 mark in doubles. Popova wound up winning the team’s Most Valuable Player award as well.

Fellow senior Dominika Kanakova enters the fall with a No. 38 ranking in doubles alongside junior Elixane Lechemia. Kanakova compiled a 24-11 record in doubles individually last season and was 15-5 in dual match play. She ended the 2013 season with a No. 28 national ranking playing with Jaklin Alawi, who graduated in May.

Lechemia was a late addition to the Gamecocks’ roster, joining the team in January and was ineligible for the first seven matches of the spring. After entering the lineup in late February, she made an immediate impact and posted an 11-6 record while tying for the team lead in SEC victories with seven. The lefty picked up SEC Player of the Week following wins against Mississippi State and Ole Miss and ended the season winning five of her last six contests.

Ximena Siles Luna is entering her sophomore season after contributing all season long as a true freshman. She held the team’s top record after last fall with a 12-2 mark and finished the season 20-12 overall. Siles Luna ended the 2013 campaign on a positive note with straight set wins in both the SEC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament.

Alex Martin, who transferred from Texas after the 2012 season, looks to improve upon her sophomore year this fall. Martin saw limited playing time last spring, appearing in five dual matches with a record of 1-3 in singles and 2-1 in doubles.

Four Gamecocks will make their debuts for South Carolina this weekend. Caroline Dailey and Brigit Folland enter the fall as true freshmen, while Natalie Looney is coming off a redshirt semester after joining the team in January as a walk-on. Meghan Blevins spent the two prior seasons competing for Oklahoma State, combining for 42 wins in singles while playing in the top half of the lineup. She is ranked No. 109 to start the fall.

Redshirt sophomore Katie Fosnacht was scheduled to make her first appearance as Gamecock as well but may be sidelined due to an ankle injury suffered in Tuesday’s practice. Fosnacht transferred from Coastal Carolina following the 2012 season and was forced to sit out all of last season.

Following the Tribe Invitational, the Gamecocks will travel to the Upstate to compete in the Furman Fall Classic in Greenville, S.C., over Sept. 27-29.