Women’s Tennis Begins 2022 at Simmons, Bridgewater State

SUFFOLK at SIMMONS
Date Time Venue Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	Wednesday, Sept. 7 3:30 PM Daly Field Brighton, Mass. 3-23 (Since 2000) Sept. 28, 2019, L, 8-1 Oct. 13, 2018, W, 7-2 L1

SUFFOLK at BRIDGEWATER STATE
Date Time Venue Series Last Meeting Last Suffolk Win Streak	Thursday, Sept. 8 3:00 PM Rosen Memorial Tenins Courts Bridgewater, Mass. 1-11 (Since 2009) Oct. 9, 2021, L, 7-2 Sept. 3, 2015, W, 5-4 L4

BOSTON – Suffolk women's tennis gets a new era started as the Rams begin the 2022 campaign, it's first under head coachDrew Goldstein, with back-to-back matches. First, the blue-and-gold makes the trip to Simmons Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 3:30 p.m. before heading to Bridgewater State the following day, Thursday, Sept. 8 at 3:00 p.m.

SOCIAL SAYINGS
Ram Nation has a chance to keep up with all the latest news and notes on Suffolk Athletics, its student-athletes and teams by following the Rams on  Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Fans are encouraged to use the hashtag #RamNation a behind-the-scene look at Suffolk Athletics.

RAMS REWIND
Suffolk muscled together a 2-8 overall record and a 1-6 league ledger in its first year in the Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC).

WELCOME BACK
Suffolk brings back four players from last season in Alyssa Blade, Giuliana Claus, Barbara Consales and Bianca Prescott. The group played mostly on the lower tier of the Rams' single ladder with Claus seeing some action in the second slot.

RAMS ROOKIES
First-year head coach Drew Goldstein brought in four newcomers to boost the Suffolk women's tennis roster in 2022.

The group is comprised of one true freshmen, Anastasiya Zakharava, a sophomore, Rachel Hill and a pair of juniors, Angela Gross and Caren Urbanob. The foursome will all begin their collegiate careers in Suffolk blue-and-gold. 

MORE READING: Rookie Quartet Added to 2022 Women's Tennis Roster

RAMS RINGLEADERS
Alyssa Blade and Bianca Prescott will serve as co-captains of the Suffolk women's tennis team for the 2022 campaign.

The senior twosome are the second straight set to share the leadership role as the pair takes over for Ilda Ascic and Kendall Smith, who held the post since 2019.

Suffolk has been led by two Rams for seven seasons in a row.

MORE READING: Blade, Prescott to Co-Captain Women's Tennis in 2022

GEOGRAPHY 101
Suffolk's women's tennis has a diverse make-up with eighth athletes hailing from four states with three international Rams.

State side, Suffolk has five U.S. natives with a pair Connecticut locals. Florida, Maine and New York are represented by one student-athlete apiece.

Internationally, student-athletes stretch across Belarus Panama and Venezuela. 

CLASS CATEGORIES
The Rams roster is mixed. There are three seniors, two juniors, one graduate student, one sophomore and true freshmen. 

COACH'S COURT
Drew Goldstein joined Suffolk Athletics as the women's tennis head coach in the summer of 2022 and began his first season that fall.

Suffolk has provided Goldstein with his first collegiate head coaching opportunity; however, his resume is tacked with two decades of experience of running junior and adult programs.

OPENING ACT

• Since 2007, Suffolk sports a 5-9 opening day record.
• The Rams snapped a four-match opening-day skid last season with a 9-0 win at St. Joseph (Conn.)
• The blue-and-gold begins the year on the road for the second straight season. Suffolk is 1-6 when pulling the curtain back on the season away from home since 2007.
• The blue-and-gold will battle Simmons in its first match of the year for the first time in the Rams' record books, which date back through the 2007 campaign.
• Three matches have been decided in shutout fashion in the season debut since 2007. Suffolk is 1-2 in both instances. 

PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
In a vote by the Commonwealth Coast Conference's (CCC) eight head coaches, Suffolk women's tennis has been projected to finish eighth in the CCC Preseason Coaches' Poll.

MORE READING: Women's Tennis Picked Eighth in CCC Preseason Poll

SHARKS SAYINGS
Simmons boasts a 2-1 record through its first three matches of the season with back-to-back 7-2 victories over Gordon and Salem State. 

Olga Zhizhin has played exclusively as the Sharks ace and holds a 2-1 mark. She has teamed up with Vanessa Camargo and Leah Onis as the top tandem. Zhizhin and Camargo are 1-1 when partnering up, while Zhizhin and Onis sport a 0-1 mark.

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Suffolk and Simmons were last scheduled to play Sept. 5, 2020, however, that match was sidelined due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Rams and Sharks will meet for the first time since Sept. 28, 2019. That match went to Simmons, 8-1.
• Since 2000, Suffolk has tangled with Simmons 26 times. The Rams are 3-23 in the series.
• The Rams last win over the Sharks came via a 7-2 score Oct. 13, 2018. 

BEARS BREAKDOWN
Bridgewater State fell in its 2022 debut to Regis, 7-2.

Madeline Von Ruden battled as the Bears ace. The only BSU player to pick up a singles victory was Meghan Lotti in the sixth slot. Doubles wise, Mackenzie Silveira and Erin Lally are the lone tandem in the win column with a triumph on the third court. 

INSIDE THE SERIES

• Since 2009, Suffolk trails the all-time series with Bridgewater State, 1-11.
• Suffolk looks to snap a four-match skid versus the Bears.
• The Rams lone win over BSU came in a 5-4 thriller Sept. 3, 2015.
• In the last five meetings, Bridgewater State has outscored Suffolk, 34-11

COMIING UP   
After a weekend off, Suffolk will be back in action Tuesday, Sept. 13 at Rhode Island College at 4 p.m.