This weekend, the women’s tennis team at Rensselaer opens its season, hoping to defend its title at the Rensselaer Invitational being played at the courts at Prospect Park. Saturday’s matches begin at 9:30 am, while Sunday’s games start an hour later, at 10:30 am. The team is guided by Head Coach Carol Pillsworth, who enters her 28th season at RPI.
Last season the team posted a 3-4 record overall, including two losses at the only games played at Sharp courts.
Looking to rebound, RPI women’s tennis plays four games at home this semester, and four games on the road for the first half of the season, before heading off to the New York State Championships.
Other tournament play this semester includes matches at the Tennis Hall of Fame Tournament, held in Hartford, Conn., on September 13 and 14. Following the tournament, the Engineers hit the road against SUNY New Paltz and Hamilton College on September 20 and 23, respectively, before returning home again to play Plattsburg State on September 28.
Despite losing seniors Charlotte Kaplan and captain Erica Sherman to graduation, the team can look forward to many returning players, including last-season stand outs seniors Andrea Dalton and Progga Das; juniors Christine Roe and Rachel Smith; and sophomores Caroline Albrecht and Jessica Sitzer, to lead the team this year. The class of 2012 already is showing promise in preseason practices.
First non-tournament play begins at home on Thursday, September 4, with Rensselaer facing off against the Hartwick College Hawks at 4 pm, and a Saturday matinee at 12 pm on September 6 against the SUNY Brockport Golden Eagles, with all home games played at Sharp courts.
