The Coastal Carolina women’s tennis team (0-0) opens the 2005 season Saturday, Jan. 29, against Garnder-Webb University at the Billy Nichols Tennis Center on the Coastal Carolina campus. The Lady Chanticleers are looking to build off a 17-6 record in 2004 and an appearance in the Big South Tournament final.

SCOUTING GARDNER-WEBB: Gardner-Webb (0-1) fell to Davidson 7-0 in its opener Jan. 22. The Bulldogs fell to Campbell in the first round of the 2004 Atlantic Sun Tournament. Melissa DeJong will play number one singles for Gardner-Webb. She fell to Kelly Fillnow of Davidson 6-2, 6-2.

HEAD COACH JODY DAVIS: Jody Davis (Coastal Carolina ’84) enters his ninth season as head coach of the Coastal Carolina women’s tennis program. Davis has an impressive 111-46 record with the women’s squad, including coaching five Big South Conference Players of the Year (including Medina Bajrambasic in 2004), three Big South Rookies of the Year and 24 All-Conference team members, including Bajrambasic and Marie Matrka last season.

MATRKA MOVING UP WINS CHART: Senior Marie Matrka (Wilmington, Ohio) starts her senior season ranked third in all-time singles wins (74) and fourth in all-time doubles wins (75) at Coastal. The 2004 Third Team Academic All-America selection trails Emma Kidd (114) and Medina Bajrambasic (105) in singles wins.

FALL RECAP: The Coastal women‘s tennis team has a combined 35-15 fall record, which included two flight championships (Sarize Coetzee and Rosemary Younger) and one that advanced to a final before it was rained out (Matrka). Matrka went 10-4 in singles play and 7-4 in doubles action during the fall, while Coetzee had an 8-1 fall record.

NEW FACES: Freshmen Sofie Ahlberg and Sierra Raaum will join the Coastal women’s tennis program at the beginning of the spring semester.

UP NEXT: Coastal hosts Presbyterian College Sunday, Feb. 6, at noon.