Jan. 16, 2009

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The 2009 Kentucky women’s tennis team kicks off its season on the road at Marshall on Sat., Jan. 17, in the Huntington Tennis Club at 11 a.m. ET in Huntington, W. Va.

The match will mark the Wildcats’ second consecutive season opener against the Herd. The Cats lead the series 10-0, including a 6-1 victory in 2008. Marshall returns seven players from last year’s team, including C-USA Player of the Year, senior Kellie Schmitt. Schmitt is currently the No. 33 ranked player and plays with senior teammate Karolina Soor in doubles as the No. 44 duo in the nation.

The Kentucky women’s tennis team begins its 2009 season as the No. 23 team in the nation. This year’s squad returns six of the seven players from last year’s Top-25 team. Sophomore Megan Broderick ranks No. 61 nationally in singles along with No. 42 doubles tandem Carolina Escamilla and Christine Johnston. The line-up includes returning juniors Sarah Woestmann and Whitney Spencer, and sophomore Lauren Meier. The Blue and White welcome four newcomers, Jennifer Stone (Greensboro, N.C.), Caroline Lilley (Portland, Ore.), Minnette Pienaar (Graaff-Reinet, South Africa) and Chane Hines (Johannesburg, South Africa).

In 2008 the Wildcats made their 12th consecutive NCAA tournament run. The season also gained the program’s 11th-straight final ITA Top-35 ranking and 17th Top-25 finish in school history.

Kentucky’s 2009 home schedule includes top-ranked opponents such as No. 7 Florida, No. 11 Clemson and No. 12 Vanderbilt. The Wildcats are set to face 15 ranked teams of their 21 opponents. The team’s first home match is on Fri., Jan. 30, against East Tennessee State at 9:00 a.m. and Eastern Kentucky at 2:00 p.m. at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.