No. 31-ranked women's tennis to open spring hosting Brandeis

ORANGE, Calif. – Led by a pair of All-Americans, the No. 31-ranked Chapman University women's tennis team is set to open its 2015 spring season against visiting Brandeis University on Wednesday at 1 p.m. at the Chapman Tennis Courts.

Chapman wants to build off its fifth-place finish in the SCIAC Championships last year with five of the team's top six players returning this season. The Panthers finished the 2014 season at 13-8 overall and 6-5 in SCIAC with the hopes of continuing their success this season.

Leading the returners is senior Andrea Hammer, who finished last season ranked No. 5 regionally after playing in the No. 1 spot and reached the NCAA Championships last spring. Hammer and doubles partner Rachel Fox earned All-America honors last season after finishing 20-6 overall last season and advanced to the NCAA Championships quarterfinals. The Chapman duo became just the second women's duo in school history to win 20 or more matches in a season and the first-ever to advance to the Division III quarterfinals.

Senior Sophia Duong is set to have another successful season after finishing 20-4 in singles overall last season and advancing to the Round of 16 at the USTA/ITA Fall Regional Championships last September. Duong also earned All-SCIAC honors in 2014.

The Panthers will face eight nationally ranked programs, including three in SCIAC conference play. Some matches highlighted on their schedule include facing No. 3 Amherst, No. 5 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps and No. 9 Pomona-Pitzer all ranked in the top 10 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason poll.

by Katie Whaley & Doug Aiken
Sports Information Intern & Sports Information Director

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