NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The George Mason women's tennis team will play rival George Washington in first round action in the Atlantic 10 Women's Tennis Championship, which will be held from April 16-19 at Boar's Head Sports Club in Charlottesville, Va.
The Patriots, seeded ninth, will play the eighth-seeded Colonials (4-11) on Thursday at noon, with the winner advancing to face No. 1 VCU on Friday at 10:00 am.
Mason finished the championship spring season with a 13-7 dual record, and finished 16-7overall including the fall matches. The Patriots ended the regular season on a seven match win streak, including two wins against A-10 opponents La Salle and St. Joseph's.
Four student-athletes notched double-digit singles wins on the year. Sophomore Marijke Boers notched 10 singles wins including the last six matches, mostly playing from the No. 3 spot. With a majority of her matches from the middle positions, junior Esu Erdenebat finished 13-8. Sophomores Olivia Lacy-Thompson and Morgan Yang each won 11 singles matches.
Hampered by an injury early in the season, junior Brittany Pilkington returned to action mid-season to finish 8-4. Freshman Jane Awad was a big contributor this season playing from the top two spots she finished 9-10 in dual action her inaugural season.
The Patriots doubles team of Boers and Yang enjoyed the most success on the court earning 13 wins on the year, including seven from the top position. The duo of Lacy-Thompson and Scarlett Walston went 9-4 for the Green and Gold.
For the third straight year, the VCU women's tennis team has claimed the top seed in the tournament. The Rams will be defending back-to-back A-10 titles.
The Rams (13-8) finished their 2015 spring campaign on a four-match winning streak, including three A-10 victories against Fordham, Richmond and George Washington. VCU faced four teams appearing in the current ITA rankings, picking up a 4-3 decision against No. 43 Columbia. The Rams are led by two-time reigning Most Outstanding Performer, Cindy Chala, who is 15-1 this spring.
Richmond (11-6) earned a two seed and also receives a first-round bye. The Spiders will face the winner of No. 7 Saint Louis - No. 10 Dayton on Friday at 1:30 pm. Richmond posted a perfect 8-0 mark in the month of March, including three wins against A-10 opponents and a crucial 4-3 win against Georgetown. The Spiders head into the championship looking to halt a four-match skid.
Seeding for the championship is determined by the Atlantic 10 seeding committee based on regular season results, rankings and strength of opponents. The A-10 does not play a regular season conference schedule.
Every match of the championship will be played at Boar's Head Sports Club, which has hosted the A-10 Men's or Women's Championships the last three years (2012- 2014). Admission will be free for the A-10 Championship.
The semifinals will be played Saturday at 10:00 am and 1:30 pm and the championship finale is Sunday at 10:00 am. The winner of the 2015 Atlantic 10 Women's Tennis Championship receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
2015 Atlantic 10 Women's Tennis Championship Seeds
1. VCU
2. Richmond
3. Massachusetts
4. Davidson
5. Fordham
6. Duquesne
7. Saint Louis
8. George Washington
9. GEORGE MASON
10. Dayton
11. Saint Joseph's
12. Rhode Island
13. St. Bonaventure
14. La Salle
