Sunday, January 18
Blacksburg, Va.
3:30 p.m.
Davidson College
at
No. 57 Virginia Tech
New Era Begins, 'Cats Open at No. 57 Va. Tech Sunday
1/13/2015 2:12:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Gavin McFarlin - Assistant SID
2015 Schedule
2015 Quick Facts
2015 Record Book (pdf)
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson women's tennis team begins a new era for the 2015 season with a new coach and conference, opening things up at No. 57 Virginia Tech this Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
The Wildcats enter their first year in the Atlantic 10 after a 22-year run in the Southern Conference and leading the way is first-year head coach Sara Anundsen. She takes over the program after an outstanding and historic 32-year career by Caroline Price, who retired in June with 422 victories and the schools only national championship title.
Sunday's match vs. the Hokies marks the third year in a row the two schools have met to begin the season. Virginia Tech is one of two ranked teams on the Wildcats schedule to begin the season, with Elon sitting at No. 75.
In anticipation of the 2015 season, below is a look at the Season Preview ....
A new era begins for the Davidson women's tennis program. After 32 years under the guidance of Caroline Price, who retired this past June with 422 career wins, the Wildcats will have a new leader in head coach Sara Anundsen. She will also help the program usher in a new conference as Davidson moves from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10 for the 2105 season.
Davidson had an outstanding 22-year run in the SoCon, reaching the championship final four times and collecting 115 wins.
The Wildcats are coming off a 7-18 mark overall and 2-7 in the SoCon a season ago. It was just the fourth time since 2001 they had a record below .500. Â
This year's club will feature the return of five letterwinners, who all saw significant time in the starting lineup led by 2013 All-SoCon Freshman Team member Elaina Cummer. In addition, Davidson has a very talented freshman class, who all can step into the lineup right away.
SINGLES
Davidson finished with 57 total singles wins last year as a team, the second straight 50-plus win season. Jenna Brunner (11) and Elaina Cummer (10) each reached the double-digit win total. The Wildcats will have to replace four seniors (Nisha Crouser, Brites Moniz-Soares, who was a two-time All-SoCon performer, Tamara Hill and Elise Held) who combined to win 28 singles matches a year ago.
  Â
• Senior Blake Nickles: Lone senior on the team ... saw action in a career-high seven singles matches last year, picking up second career victory in a 6-0, 6-0 blanking of Belmont Abbey.
• Junior Elaina Cummer: Followed up All-SoCon Freshman year in 2013 by going 10-15 at No. 2 singles last season ... opened the season winning three of her first four matches, all in straight sets, including a 6-3, 6-4 decision against No. 54 Virginia Tech ... finished the season winning four of her final seven matches ... tied career-high with a four-match win streak during the season.
• Junior Courtney McCray: Did not see any action in any official Spring matches during second year ... opened 2014 Fall season by teaming with freshman Ally Sexton to win the D doubles bracket at the Wake Forest Invitational.
• Sophomore Jenna Brunner: A regular in the rotation as a freshman last year, seeing action in 22 matches ... one of three players to reach the 10-win plateau, finishing with an even 11-11 record ... went an even 8-8 at No. 5 singles ... rattled off a team-best five-match singles win streak ... this Fall, earned three singles wins at the ITA Carolinas Regional.
• Sophomore Sarah Stein: The Wildcats' main No. 4 singles player in her first year, saw action in 19 matches ... sported a 5-14 record ... earned first collegiate three-set win at Wofford with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory, which was also her first league win ... competed in both singles and doubles in first 2014 Fall event at the Wake Forest Invitational.
NEWCOMERS
• Freshman Anna Catharine Feaster: A native of Knoxville, Tenn., competing at the Webb School of Knoxville ... won five consecutive state championship titles with her team from 2010-2014 ... took home four consecutive individual singles state championship titles from 2011-2014 ... ranked as high as 72nd in the country according to tennisrecruiting.net and ranked as high as 17th in the southern section ... started off with an impressive Fall debut for Davidson at the Wake Forest Invitational, earning a third-place finish in the B singles draw with a 3-1 record.
• Freshman Ally Sexton: Earned seven letters playing tennis at The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Fla. ... named first team for both the Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel as a sophomore and senior ... was state doubles runner-up in 2012 ... registered a career mark of 52-17 in high school ... Competed in three of the four 2014 Fall events for Davidson ... earned third place in the G singles draw at the Wake Forest Invitational to start collegiate career.
• Freshman Cassidy Shell: The Catawba, N.C. native earned all-state honors in 2013 and was a three-year letterwinner at Brandys High School ... three-time all-conference pick (2011-13) as well as a two-time conference player of the year (2012 & 2013) ... competed in one of Davidson's four Fall events.
• Freshman Ava Todd: Comes to Davidson after a four-year prep career at Roland Park Country School in Baltimore, Md. ... was IAAM No. 2 singles winner as a freshman and an IAAM No. 1 singles semifinalist as a sophomore in 2011... earned IAAM All-Star honors both seasons ... excelled in the classroom, earning numerous honors ... father Nevins Todd played men's tennis at Davidson ... played in three of the 'Cats' four Fall events ... one of three Wildcats to earn a singles win at the Charlotte 49er Invite, defeating host Charlotte.
DOUBLES
Davidson's doubles teams finished the 2014 season with 23 wins, netting eight of them in its final year in the SoCon. The Wildcats used 11 different combinations of doubles teams last year. They will have to look to replace half of their No. 1 and 2 teams, while searching for a steady No. 3 team.
 • No. 1 position: Gone is Moniz-Soares, but Cummer returns after the duo went a team and SoCon-best 12-10 at the top spot ... the 12 wins were tops in the league ... they had a season-high four-match win streak to open the season ... closed the year on a two-match win streak, earning two 8-2 wins against UNCG and Wofford, with the last one coming at the SoCon Tournament ... eight of the 12 wins came at home.
• No. 2 position: Like the top doubles spot, Davidson brings back half of its team in Brunner, who teamed with Crouser last year ... the duo went 4-12 overall ... they had a 5-5 record vs. the SoCon ... closed out season with an 8-4 win at the SoCon Tournament vs. Wofford ... the Wildcats had six wins overall at No. 2, with the pair of Crouser and Stein earning wins in two of their five matches ... Brunner also teamed up with Stein once at No. 2, playing at No. 33 South Carolina.
• No. 3 position: Davidson used six different teams at No. 3 doubles a year ago ... Stein played 10 matches and will look to help fill one of the spots ... Nickles saw action in seven matches at No. 3, going 2-4 with graduated senior Tamara Hill ... Brunner also helped fill in, going 2-3 with Elise Held ... Davidson got just five wins overall from the No. 3 spot.
THE SCHEDULE
Davidson will open the season on the road at No. 57 Virginia Tech for the third consecutive year, before playing four straight matches and 10 of its next 11 total at its brand new home tennis courts. The Wildcats have faced the Hokies 19 times since 1994. The Hokies went 13-13 a year ago and were ranked as high as No. 47 during the season. Â
The Wildcats will face Arkansas State, Wofford, Wingate and Gardner-Webb all at home in the next four matches. It will be the second-longest homestand of the year following a six-match stand starting Feb. 26 and running through March 15. The Wildcats faced just one of the four teams a year ago, taking a 5-2 decision against Wofford. They are a combined 16-1 against Gardner-Webb (9-1) and Wingate (7-0), while the 'Cats will be facing Arkansas State for the first time.
Â
After a road match at Campbell (Feb. 21), Davidson begins its six-match homestand. During the stay at home, the Wildcats will play their inaugural Atlantic 10 match against George Mason, March 7. The two teams have faced each other just twice, going 1-1, with the last meeting occurring in 1988.
Also during the homestand, Davidson will face A-10 foes Richmond (9-12 in 2014), George Washington (9-6) and Saint Joseph's (16-8), while playing non-conference matches against James Madison and East Carolina. The 'Cats last played Richmond (1-7 all-time) in 1988, while taking on the Colonials of George Washington (1-1) in 2002. They will be facing the SJU Hawks for the first time.
Also on the schedule is cross-county rival Charlotte, along with five former Southern Conference opponents. Davidson and Charlotte have faced each other 28 times, with the 'Cats owning a 16-12 all-time record. The 49ers took a 6-1 decision a season ago and are coming off an 7-13 campaign in 2014. Â
The A-10 Tournament takes place April 15-19 in Boars Head, Va. For the second year in a row, VCU won the league tournament after a 4-0 win over Saint Louis last year in the championship match.
Prior to VCU's back-to-back tournament titles, Richmond had won the A-10 Tournament nine of the past 11 years, including four straight years in a row from 2004-2007 and 2009-2012, with Temple winning the other two seasons, 2003 and 2008.
2015 Quick Facts
2015 Record Book (pdf)
DavidsonPhotos.com
DAVIDSON, N.C. — The Davidson women's tennis team begins a new era for the 2015 season with a new coach and conference, opening things up at No. 57 Virginia Tech this Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
The Wildcats enter their first year in the Atlantic 10 after a 22-year run in the Southern Conference and leading the way is first-year head coach Sara Anundsen. She takes over the program after an outstanding and historic 32-year career by Caroline Price, who retired in June with 422 victories and the schools only national championship title.
Sunday's match vs. the Hokies marks the third year in a row the two schools have met to begin the season. Virginia Tech is one of two ranked teams on the Wildcats schedule to begin the season, with Elon sitting at No. 75.
In anticipation of the 2015 season, below is a look at the Season Preview ....
A new era begins for the Davidson women's tennis program. After 32 years under the guidance of Caroline Price, who retired this past June with 422 career wins, the Wildcats will have a new leader in head coach Sara Anundsen. She will also help the program usher in a new conference as Davidson moves from the Southern Conference to the Atlantic 10 for the 2105 season.
Davidson had an outstanding 22-year run in the SoCon, reaching the championship final four times and collecting 115 wins.
The Wildcats are coming off a 7-18 mark overall and 2-7 in the SoCon a season ago. It was just the fourth time since 2001 they had a record below .500. Â
This year's club will feature the return of five letterwinners, who all saw significant time in the starting lineup led by 2013 All-SoCon Freshman Team member Elaina Cummer. In addition, Davidson has a very talented freshman class, who all can step into the lineup right away.
SINGLES
Davidson finished with 57 total singles wins last year as a team, the second straight 50-plus win season. Jenna Brunner (11) and Elaina Cummer (10) each reached the double-digit win total. The Wildcats will have to replace four seniors (Nisha Crouser, Brites Moniz-Soares, who was a two-time All-SoCon performer, Tamara Hill and Elise Held) who combined to win 28 singles matches a year ago.
  Â
• Senior Blake Nickles: Lone senior on the team ... saw action in a career-high seven singles matches last year, picking up second career victory in a 6-0, 6-0 blanking of Belmont Abbey.
• Junior Elaina Cummer: Followed up All-SoCon Freshman year in 2013 by going 10-15 at No. 2 singles last season ... opened the season winning three of her first four matches, all in straight sets, including a 6-3, 6-4 decision against No. 54 Virginia Tech ... finished the season winning four of her final seven matches ... tied career-high with a four-match win streak during the season.
• Junior Courtney McCray: Did not see any action in any official Spring matches during second year ... opened 2014 Fall season by teaming with freshman Ally Sexton to win the D doubles bracket at the Wake Forest Invitational.
• Sophomore Jenna Brunner: A regular in the rotation as a freshman last year, seeing action in 22 matches ... one of three players to reach the 10-win plateau, finishing with an even 11-11 record ... went an even 8-8 at No. 5 singles ... rattled off a team-best five-match singles win streak ... this Fall, earned three singles wins at the ITA Carolinas Regional.
• Sophomore Sarah Stein: The Wildcats' main No. 4 singles player in her first year, saw action in 19 matches ... sported a 5-14 record ... earned first collegiate three-set win at Wofford with a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 victory, which was also her first league win ... competed in both singles and doubles in first 2014 Fall event at the Wake Forest Invitational.
NEWCOMERS
• Freshman Anna Catharine Feaster: A native of Knoxville, Tenn., competing at the Webb School of Knoxville ... won five consecutive state championship titles with her team from 2010-2014 ... took home four consecutive individual singles state championship titles from 2011-2014 ... ranked as high as 72nd in the country according to tennisrecruiting.net and ranked as high as 17th in the southern section ... started off with an impressive Fall debut for Davidson at the Wake Forest Invitational, earning a third-place finish in the B singles draw with a 3-1 record.
• Freshman Ally Sexton: Earned seven letters playing tennis at The Benjamin School in North Palm Beach, Fla. ... named first team for both the Palm Beach Post and Sun Sentinel as a sophomore and senior ... was state doubles runner-up in 2012 ... registered a career mark of 52-17 in high school ... Competed in three of the four 2014 Fall events for Davidson ... earned third place in the G singles draw at the Wake Forest Invitational to start collegiate career.
• Freshman Cassidy Shell: The Catawba, N.C. native earned all-state honors in 2013 and was a three-year letterwinner at Brandys High School ... three-time all-conference pick (2011-13) as well as a two-time conference player of the year (2012 & 2013) ... competed in one of Davidson's four Fall events.
• Freshman Ava Todd: Comes to Davidson after a four-year prep career at Roland Park Country School in Baltimore, Md. ... was IAAM No. 2 singles winner as a freshman and an IAAM No. 1 singles semifinalist as a sophomore in 2011... earned IAAM All-Star honors both seasons ... excelled in the classroom, earning numerous honors ... father Nevins Todd played men's tennis at Davidson ... played in three of the 'Cats' four Fall events ... one of three Wildcats to earn a singles win at the Charlotte 49er Invite, defeating host Charlotte.
DOUBLES
Davidson's doubles teams finished the 2014 season with 23 wins, netting eight of them in its final year in the SoCon. The Wildcats used 11 different combinations of doubles teams last year. They will have to look to replace half of their No. 1 and 2 teams, while searching for a steady No. 3 team.
 • No. 1 position: Gone is Moniz-Soares, but Cummer returns after the duo went a team and SoCon-best 12-10 at the top spot ... the 12 wins were tops in the league ... they had a season-high four-match win streak to open the season ... closed the year on a two-match win streak, earning two 8-2 wins against UNCG and Wofford, with the last one coming at the SoCon Tournament ... eight of the 12 wins came at home.
• No. 2 position: Like the top doubles spot, Davidson brings back half of its team in Brunner, who teamed with Crouser last year ... the duo went 4-12 overall ... they had a 5-5 record vs. the SoCon ... closed out season with an 8-4 win at the SoCon Tournament vs. Wofford ... the Wildcats had six wins overall at No. 2, with the pair of Crouser and Stein earning wins in two of their five matches ... Brunner also teamed up with Stein once at No. 2, playing at No. 33 South Carolina.
• No. 3 position: Davidson used six different teams at No. 3 doubles a year ago ... Stein played 10 matches and will look to help fill one of the spots ... Nickles saw action in seven matches at No. 3, going 2-4 with graduated senior Tamara Hill ... Brunner also helped fill in, going 2-3 with Elise Held ... Davidson got just five wins overall from the No. 3 spot.
THE SCHEDULE
Davidson will open the season on the road at No. 57 Virginia Tech for the third consecutive year, before playing four straight matches and 10 of its next 11 total at its brand new home tennis courts. The Wildcats have faced the Hokies 19 times since 1994. The Hokies went 13-13 a year ago and were ranked as high as No. 47 during the season. Â
The Wildcats will face Arkansas State, Wofford, Wingate and Gardner-Webb all at home in the next four matches. It will be the second-longest homestand of the year following a six-match stand starting Feb. 26 and running through March 15. The Wildcats faced just one of the four teams a year ago, taking a 5-2 decision against Wofford. They are a combined 16-1 against Gardner-Webb (9-1) and Wingate (7-0), while the 'Cats will be facing Arkansas State for the first time.
Â
After a road match at Campbell (Feb. 21), Davidson begins its six-match homestand. During the stay at home, the Wildcats will play their inaugural Atlantic 10 match against George Mason, March 7. The two teams have faced each other just twice, going 1-1, with the last meeting occurring in 1988.
Also during the homestand, Davidson will face A-10 foes Richmond (9-12 in 2014), George Washington (9-6) and Saint Joseph's (16-8), while playing non-conference matches against James Madison and East Carolina. The 'Cats last played Richmond (1-7 all-time) in 1988, while taking on the Colonials of George Washington (1-1) in 2002. They will be facing the SJU Hawks for the first time.
Also on the schedule is cross-county rival Charlotte, along with five former Southern Conference opponents. Davidson and Charlotte have faced each other 28 times, with the 'Cats owning a 16-12 all-time record. The 49ers took a 6-1 decision a season ago and are coming off an 7-13 campaign in 2014. Â
The A-10 Tournament takes place April 15-19 in Boars Head, Va. For the second year in a row, VCU won the league tournament after a 4-0 win over Saint Louis last year in the championship match.
Prior to VCU's back-to-back tournament titles, Richmond had won the A-10 Tournament nine of the past 11 years, including four straight years in a row from 2004-2007 and 2009-2012, with Temple winning the other two seasons, 2003 and 2008.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Women's Tennis Virtual Tour
Friday, July 17
Play From Home: Women's Tennis' Mira Gladstone
Tuesday, May 05
Women's Tennis vs Kennesaw State Recap
Thursday, February 13
Davidson moves to the Atlantic 10
Sunday, August 18