ELON, N.C. – Elon University women's tennis opens its home slate on Wednesday, Jan. 16, hosting a doubleheader against North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The Phoenix will first face the Aggies at 10 a.m., followed by the Eagles at 2 p.m.
 
THE SERIES
The Phoenix has faced North Carolina A&T 18 times since becoming a Division I program in 2000. In the most recent matchup, Elon defeated N.C. A&T in last season's opener 7-0 on Jan. 13, 2017, as Maria Paraja clinched the match at No. 3 position. Elon has yet to lose to NCCU since becoming a NCAA Division I program, winning 10 consecutive matchups against the Eagles. Last season, the Phoenix earned the 7-0 sweep at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center on March 3, 2018, as Sofia Edo clinched the win at No. 6 singles.

SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Both North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central will be playing their season openers when they face the Phoenix on Wednesday. The Aggies (0-0) are coming off a 2-19 season in 2018 as their season ended with a 4-0 loss to Hampton in the first round of the MEAC Championships. North Carolina A&T brings back six returners from last season and made three freshmen additions to its roster for the 2018-19 campaign. NC Central posted a 2-17 record in 2018. The Eagles bring back five players from last season and added two for the 2018-19.

ABOUT ELON
The Phoenix opened its 2019 season with a 6-1 loss at No. 3 North Carolina on Saturday. Olivia Archer earned Elon's lone point picking up an impressive win at the No. 6 singles position. Elon returns six players from a 2017-18 team that posted a 14-13 dual match record and finished its season falling to eventual 2018 CAA Champion William & Mary 4-2 in the semifinals of the conference tournament at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. Highlighting the returners are All-CAA doubles honorees Maria Paraja and Alex Koniaev, as well as Suzanne Zenoni, who finished with a team-best 16-8 singles record. Zenoni, Paraja, and Montana Moore are the three seniors on the squad in 2018-19. Juniors Koniaev and Sofia Edo round out Elon's group of five upperclassman, while Mia Wallace is the maroon and gold's lone sophomore this season. Additionally, the Phoenix infused three newcomers for 2018-19 in Olivia Archer, Uma Nayar and Nicole Shiau.

IN SEARCH OF 200
Elizabeth Anderson is in her 15th season as head coach of the Phoenix. She is currently at 199 victories and is one win away from reaching 200 for her career. Since joining the CAA in 2015, the Phoenix has posted a 59-38 dual match record under the direction of Anderson. Anderson collected her first-ever conference coach of the year award in 2016 as she was named the CAA Coach of the Year during Elon's second season in the league. That season, she led the Phoenix to a 5-1 record against CAA teams. She has led Elon to 14 or more wins in the last seven seasons and guided the program to its first NCAA Tournament in 2014.

STRENGTH IN RETURNERS
Elon's returners posted 60 total wins in singles and 41 doubles victories during the 2018 season. In addition to Zenoni's 16 wins in singles, Paraja had the third-most wins with 13 in 2018. Koniaev also finished with double-digit singles wins posting 11 last season. Zenoni is Elon's top returner in doubles wins as she had 11 last season. As a group, Elon brings back 41 total wins in doubles from a year ago.

FRESH FACES
Elon University head women's tennis coach Elizabeth Anderson announced the additions of Olivia Archer (Cornelius, N.C.), Uma Nayar (Ipoh, Malaysia), and Yun Shiau (Taichung, Taiwan) for the 2018-19 season.

UP NEXT
The Phoenix begins a slew of four straight matches away from home on Saturday, Jan. 19, with a 1 p.m. contest at Gardner-Webb. Then, Elon will complete the weekend with a trip to Furman on Sunday, Jan. 20, for a 12 p.m. match against one of its former Southern Conference rivals.