JACKSONVILLE – After splitting results in their first four road matches of the new campaign, Jacksonville State's women's tennis squad will return home on Friday to take part in the 2024 home opener. That match versus visiting Alabama A&M will have a first-serve set for 1 p.m. at the Jax State Tennis Courts.
The Gamecocks (2-2) lost a pair of tight matches in Starkville, Miss., on Jan. 12 and 13, falling to veteran opponents in Middle Tennessee and Mississippi State, then rebounded with a 4-2 victory at Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 19. Their success continued on Tuesday at the Hoover Met, where they scored a 4-1 victory over UAB.
Serafima Shastova survived a thrilling three-set classic in the top singles flight to clinch the program's first triumph against the Blazers since 1992. Now, Jax State will finally have an opportunity to line it up in Jacksonville against AAMU (0-0).
A trio of contributors have stood out for the Red-and-White thus far. Junior
Zuzana Pavelekova has an unblemished 2-0 mark in singles play, all at the No. 6 spot, and the doubles team of
Irene Artigas and
Dariana Prato has won three of four contests in the third court.
Alabama A&M will open their Spring season on Friday in Calhoun County. The Bulldogs are coming off a strong year in 2023 that saw them go 6-3 in SWAC play, advancing all the way to the league semifinals before falling to top-seeded Florida A&M. Longtime head coach Willis Mbandi returns some production from last year's roster, but the team includes a handful of first-year players as well.
Admission is free to Friday's contest at the Jax State Tennis Courts and fans unable to attend can follow along with live stats at JaxStateSports.com. The Gamecocks finish a week full of tennis on Sunday in Auburn. Jax State will make the short trip to the Plains for a 5:30 p.m. matchup with Texas Tech.
Though the women's tennis team is not scheduled to play again at home this season, the men's tennis program is slated to play host to Troy on Sat., Feb. 17, in their home opener.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jax State Women's Tennis), Instagram (@JaxStateWTEN), and X (@JaxStateWTEN) accounts.
