Photo by: Courtesy Ryan Gunter | Gardner-Webb University
Gardner-Webb Women's Tennis Set to Begin 2019 Campaign
January 18, 2019 | Women's Tennis
BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. – Heading into the 2019 season, head coach Jim Corn's women's tennis team features a perfect blend of newcomers and experience – with four new additions and three returners on the roster.
The 2019 edition of the Runnin' Bulldogs will be led by junior Miljana Ristic (Nis, Serbia / OS Stefan Nemanja). Ristic split time between the No. 3 and 4 singles flights last season, finishing above .500 in both flights. The Nis, Serbia native won five of her nine matches in the No. 3 position, both the majority of her success came in the No. 4 flight. Ristic played half her matches at No. 4, winning seven times while losing just twice.
In doubles play, Ristic played all 18 matches in the No. 1 spot and finished 9-9 overall with a six-match winning streak to end the season.
Junior Daniela Naupari (Lima, Peru / SS CC Recoleta) had a similar singles season compared to Ristic, also splitting time between the No. 3 and 4 flights. While she struggled in the No. 3 position, winning only 3-of-9 matches, she had a nearly unblemished record in the No. 4 flight. In nine matches, Naupari won eight and lost just once at No. 4. She finished the season 11-7 overall and was the only Runnin' Bulldog to end the year with a record above .500 in Big South play, going 5-4.
The big story of 2019 will be the play of sophomore Valentine Limauge (Brussels, Belgium / Lycee Berlaymont) who played .500 tennis in her first year in Boiling Springs, going 9-9 in the No. 5 flight. Limauge was the only Runnin' Bulldog to win a weekly honor from the Big South Conference last season, twice being named the Freshman of the Week. Limauge went 3-1 in singles play during the two weeks that she received recognition from the Big South. Her most notable victory during that period was a hard-fought, three-set victory over Charlotte's Megan Smith, 7-6, 1-6, 10-8.
Head coach Jim Corn noted that Limauge was "adapting to the college game and learning how to win very quickly."
Of the four newcomers, Milica Panic (Belgrade, Serbia / University of Montana) is the lone transfer. Panic comes to Gardner-Webb after playing two seasons at the University of Montana. Panic primarily competed at No. 6 singles and No. 3 singles for the Grizzles. She went .500 in both singles and doubles action during the 2018 season.
Three freshman – Manon Delsol (Moncault, France / Lycee St. Capris Agen), Mayumi Saguchi (Maipu, Argentina / Universidad de la Defensa) and Adrienne Vesely (Plano, Texas / Spring Creek Academy) – will make their collegiate debuts.
Vesely, who signed with the Runnin' Bulldogs in January of 2018, was ranked as high as 87th in the country during her junior season and won the Florida Open Girls18 Championship that season. She was ranked as a four-star recruit by Tennisrecruiting.net.
Delsol and Saguchi arrived on Gardner-Webb's campus hailing from France and Argentina respectively. Saguchi primarily played on clay surfaces in Argentina, compiling a 16-14 record over three years (2016-2018) with a 13-10 record in 2017.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will open the season against Elon at 1 p.m. on Saturday before playing three straight road matches beginning February 6. The first Big South Conference match is scheduled for 12 noon on Saturday, February 23 against the Longwood Lancers.
The 2019 edition of the Runnin' Bulldogs will be led by junior Miljana Ristic (Nis, Serbia / OS Stefan Nemanja). Ristic split time between the No. 3 and 4 singles flights last season, finishing above .500 in both flights. The Nis, Serbia native won five of her nine matches in the No. 3 position, both the majority of her success came in the No. 4 flight. Ristic played half her matches at No. 4, winning seven times while losing just twice.
In doubles play, Ristic played all 18 matches in the No. 1 spot and finished 9-9 overall with a six-match winning streak to end the season.
Junior Daniela Naupari (Lima, Peru / SS CC Recoleta) had a similar singles season compared to Ristic, also splitting time between the No. 3 and 4 flights. While she struggled in the No. 3 position, winning only 3-of-9 matches, she had a nearly unblemished record in the No. 4 flight. In nine matches, Naupari won eight and lost just once at No. 4. She finished the season 11-7 overall and was the only Runnin' Bulldog to end the year with a record above .500 in Big South play, going 5-4.
The big story of 2019 will be the play of sophomore Valentine Limauge (Brussels, Belgium / Lycee Berlaymont) who played .500 tennis in her first year in Boiling Springs, going 9-9 in the No. 5 flight. Limauge was the only Runnin' Bulldog to win a weekly honor from the Big South Conference last season, twice being named the Freshman of the Week. Limauge went 3-1 in singles play during the two weeks that she received recognition from the Big South. Her most notable victory during that period was a hard-fought, three-set victory over Charlotte's Megan Smith, 7-6, 1-6, 10-8.
Head coach Jim Corn noted that Limauge was "adapting to the college game and learning how to win very quickly."
Of the four newcomers, Milica Panic (Belgrade, Serbia / University of Montana) is the lone transfer. Panic comes to Gardner-Webb after playing two seasons at the University of Montana. Panic primarily competed at No. 6 singles and No. 3 singles for the Grizzles. She went .500 in both singles and doubles action during the 2018 season.
Three freshman – Manon Delsol (Moncault, France / Lycee St. Capris Agen), Mayumi Saguchi (Maipu, Argentina / Universidad de la Defensa) and Adrienne Vesely (Plano, Texas / Spring Creek Academy) – will make their collegiate debuts.
Vesely, who signed with the Runnin' Bulldogs in January of 2018, was ranked as high as 87th in the country during her junior season and won the Florida Open Girls18 Championship that season. She was ranked as a four-star recruit by Tennisrecruiting.net.
Delsol and Saguchi arrived on Gardner-Webb's campus hailing from France and Argentina respectively. Saguchi primarily played on clay surfaces in Argentina, compiling a 16-14 record over three years (2016-2018) with a 13-10 record in 2017.
The Runnin' Bulldogs will open the season against Elon at 1 p.m. on Saturday before playing three straight road matches beginning February 6. The first Big South Conference match is scheduled for 12 noon on Saturday, February 23 against the Longwood Lancers.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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