Liberty University Flames

The Liberty women’s tennis team will begin its spring 2022 season with a pair of matches in Florida, Saturday and Sunday. Liberty will face Minnesota on Saturday morning (9 a.m.), followed by a Sunday morning match at 9 a.m. against Toledo.

Both matches will be contested at the FGCU Tennis Complex in Fort Myers, Fla.

This will be the first time Liberty and the Minnesota Golden Gophers will compete against each other. The Lady Flames hold a 1-0 mark all-time against the Toledo Rockets. Liberty’s first-ever match against Toledo was nearly six years ago. The Lady Flames defeated the Rockets 6-1 in a neutral-site match in Palm Springs, Calif., March 10, 2016.

“We are so excited to begin our season in Florida this weekend. We will play two very good programs in Minnesota and Toledo. Both are well-coached and will push us to play at our highest possible level,” said Liberty Women’s Tennis Head Coach Jeff Maren. “The weekend will also give us an opportunity to play some outdoor tennis, as our weather here has been a little too cold to do so. The girls have had two good weeks of practice and are looking forward to competing. We, like many programs, have faced adversity over the past several years. We have grown closer and become stronger as a result. We have big goals and are looking forward to pursuing them together this year. To God be the glory!”

Lady Flames News and Notes

• This is the second time in the last three seasons that Liberty has opened the year with a pair of matches at FGCU. Two years ago, the Lady Flames faced Miami (Ohio) and Middle Tennessee at FGCU to begin the 2020 campaign.

• The Lady Flames were selected to finish third in the league in the 2022 ASUN Women’s Tennis Preseason Coaches Poll, behind only North Florida (No. 1) and FGCU (No. 2).

• Liberty holds a 9-12 all-time record in spring season openers but is 6-2 in those matches over the last eight years. The Lady Flames defeated Georgia State in a road match in their 2021 opener.

• The Lady Flames competed in seven fall events. Freshman Maria Juliana Parra Romero paced the squad in singles with an 11-2 mark, followed by sophomore Esther Lovato (9-2). Liberty utilized several different doubles combinations in the fall, with Lovato and freshman Maretha Burger posting the best record at 3-0.

• Liberty posted an 18-7 overall record and 6-0 mark in ASUN regular season matches in 2021. The Lady Flames’ 18 wins are tied for the second most in a season in program history.

• The Lady Flames return three ASUN All-Conference selections from a season ago, including Alexandra Almborg (first team), Tiffany Nguyen (second team) and Lovato (second team).

• Minnesota finished the 2021 season with a 6-13 record and 4-12 mark in Big Ten play. Toledo closed last season with a 15-7 overall record and 11-3 mark in MAC competition.

• Liberty will return home to face Campbell and Georgetown in a doubleheader, Jan. 29 at the Liberty Indoor Tennis Center. The Lady Flames will square off with the Camels at 10 a.m., followed by a 3 p.m. match versus the Hoyas.

Schedule

Liberty to Open Season in Florida Against Minnesota and Toledo Over Weekend