KALAMAZOO, Mich. - The 2021 Kalamazoo College women's tennis team is set to begin its season Saturday, March 20 at home against Alma at 11 a.m. Kalamazoo returns to the court following a shortened 2020 season in which the Hornets finished 2-4 overall. The Hornets' schedule features five home games, including two this month, and seven trips on the road. The Kalamazoo roster is made up of nine returning student-athletes and three newcomers.
Key Dates
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The Hornets open their season at home against Alma on Saturday, March 20.
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Kalamazoo travels to Saint Mary's on March 25 before hosting Trine on March 28.
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After a quintet of road matches heading into the month of April, Kalamazoo hosts Saint Mary's for a rematch on April 17.
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The Hornets round out the regular season with a trip to Albion followed by a pair of home matches on April 24-25.
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The MIAA Tournament is set to begin on Wednesday, May 5 and concludes on Friday, May 7.
Returning Statistical Leaders
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The team returns nine players from last season's team including senior captains Julia Bachmann, Maddy Winarski and Helen Pelak.
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Two-time All-MIAA honoree Winarski returns for her senior season as Kalamazoo's primary No. 2 singles player. Last season she went 4-8 to add to her 35-20 career record. She went 3-1 in doubles matches with Ella Knight and Lauren Marshall.
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Pelak will take on the No. 3 singles slot and lead at No. 1 doubles, while Bachmann returns to No. 6 singles after going 1-0 last season.
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Ella Knight is back for her junior season after winning all three of her matches played last spring at No. 3 singles. She complied a 2-0 record playing in No. 3 doubles matches with Winarski and Maddie Wojcik.
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Sophie Zhuang is back after a successful freshman campaign in which she went 2-1 in No. 3 singles play and 2-2 at No. 1 doubles with Laura Hanselman.
Head Coach Mark Murphy
Coach Murphy is entering his 12th season as the head coach of the Hornets. His teams have compiled an overall winning percentage of .555 (118-97) during his time at Kalamazoo. Murphy has been named Regional Coach of the Year twice (2014, '16) since taking over the Hornets. He has coached players to 14 All-MIAA First Team selections, 10 All-MIAA Second Team selections, and two MIAA MVP's. Prior to arriving at Kalamazoo, Murphy spent 11 years as associate head men's and women's tennis coach at his alma mater, Coe College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Quoting Coach Murphy
"We are very excited to be playing tennis again. It was this time last year when our season ended. We have a very talented team with five singles and four doubles returners. We are led by our three senior captains, Julia Bachmann, Maddy Winarski and Helen Pelak. Also returning are juniors Caroline Norton, Ella Knight and Maddie Wojcik. Last year was cut short, but we return three sophomores Sophie Zhuang, Meghan Killmaster and Lauren Marshall. I expect all 12 of our players to play a significant role in our success this year." - Head Coach Mark Murphy