ELON, N.C. – The Elon University women's tennis team (11-5) heads to Winston-Salem on Friday for a 7 p.m. contest against No. 31 Wake Forest. It will be Elon's second night match of the season.
 
HOW TO FOLLOW

• The match will start with doubles at 7 p.m. and will conclude with singles shortly after.
• Live scoring is available and can be accessed by clicking here.  
• The match will be streamed on PlaySight. To access the stream, click here.
• Updates throughout the match will be provided by the program's Twitter and Instagram accounts, @ElonWTennis.

 
THE MATCHUP

• Wake Forest holds a 7-1 advantage all-time against Elon. 
• All eight of the previous meetings between the teams have been contested at Wake Forest. 
• Last season, the Demon Deacons defeated the Phoenix 4-0 in Winston-Salem on April 2, 2023. 
• Elon's lone win against Wake Forest came on Jan. 26, 2013, when the Phoenix upset the Demon Deacons 4-3. 
• The Phoenix has not earned a point against Wake Forest since losing 6-1 on March 16, 2014. 

 
ABOUT THE PHOENIX

• Elon is coming off a 16-7 season that included a trip to the semifinals of the CAA Tournament. 
• The Phoenix returns five players from last year's squad, headlined by Sibel Tanik and Lizette Reding, who both earned All-CAA honors in singles and doubles last season. Tanik and Reding formed a dynamic doubles duo, going 12-6 in the No. 1 position, and combined for 24 singles victories in the top three spots. 
• Also returning for the Phoenix are sophomores Helen Sarikulaya and Madison Cordisco. Sarikulaya won 12 doubles and 11 singles matches last season and earned two CAA Doubles Team of the Week honors. Cordisco also reached double-digit wins in doubles, earning 11 victories playing the Nos. 2 and 3 spots. 
• Miray Konar is also back for her second season with the Phoenix. Konar went 8-1 in 2022 playing Nos. 5 and 6 singles and added nine doubles victories. 
• New to the Phoenix this season are freshmen Simone Bergeron, Ella Suk and Mariana Reding, the younger sister of Lizette Reding. 
• Elon is led by head coach Elizabeth Anderson, who is in her 20th season at the helm of the program.

 
LAST TIME OUT

• Elon had its 10-match winning streak halted on March 15 at East Carolina. 
• The Phoenix picked up a pair of decisive wins in doubles to go ahead 1-0. 
• Playing the No. 1 spot, Sibel Tanik and Lizette Reding cruised to a 6-0 victory, their 32^nd as a pair. It was their second 6-0 win of the season and their sixth together. 
• The all-freshman tandem of Simone Bergeron and Ella Suk secured the doubles point for the Phoenix with a 6-2 triumph at the No. 3 spot. It was their ninth victory of the season together, tying them with Madison Cordisco and Mariana Reding for the most on the team. 
• This was Elon's sixth straight successful doubles point and its 11 conversion in the last 12 contests. 
• Bergeron carried the momentum into singles, as she finished first with a 6-2, 6-4 win over East Carolina's Kexuan Zhou on Court 6. 
• The Pirates responded with straight sets victories at Nos. 3 and 5 singles. 
• Helen Sarikulaya extended her singles winning streak to nine with a comeback win on Court 4. The sophomore lost the opening set against Isabella Ortiz in a tiebreak but won the next two frames 6-2 and 6-4 to move the Phoenix back ahead. During her winning streak, Sarikulaya is 18-2 in completed sets. 
• East Carolina won the final two singles matches in a third set to outlast the maroon and gold. In the final match to finish on Court 2, East Carolina's Ines Bachir took down Lizette Reding in a third-set tiebreak to clinch a dramatic Pirates victory. 
• The loss was Elon's first since Jan. 28, snapping a streak of 10 consecutive victories. The winning streak was tied for the second longest in Elon's Division I tenure. 

 
TERRIFIC TANIK

• In her fifth year of college tennis and fourth at Elon, Sibel Tanik is up to 51 career singles victories, 47 of which have come with the maroon and gold. 
• Tanik has eight singles wins this season and has won seven of her last nine appearances.
• In Elon's win over Campbell last week, Tanik came from a set down for the ninth time in her Elon career to secure the winning point for the Phoenix.  
• Tanik has played the No. 1 spot in 12 of the 14 matches she has competed in this season. 
• The senior has been clutch in match tiebreaks this season, tallying two wins in decisive breakers. 
• All of Tanik's victories at Elon have come at either the No. 1 or No. 2 position, including 33 at the top spot. 
• Tanik has also registered 43 doubles wins since joining the Phoenix, the 12th most in Elon's Division I history. In the last two seasons, Tanik has paired with Lizette Reding for 32 victories at the No. 1 position. 
• Additionally, Tanik is moving up Elon's all-time singles ranks, as her eight wins this season have moved her into a tie for 13th place in the program's Division I history. 
• Alongside Reding, Tanik earned CAA Doubles Team of the Week honors on Jan. 23 after the pair won at the No. 1 spot on Jan. 19 against Longwood. 
• Last season, Tanik earned two CAA Player of the Week awards and was named to the All-CAA Second Team for doubles and Third Team for singles. 
• In all three of her years at Elon, Tanik has registered double-digit victories in both singles and doubles. She has also been All-CAA in both singles and doubles each of the last two seasons.

 
BIG SISTER

• Freshman Mariana Reding joins her older sister Lizette, a senior, on the Phoenix roster this season. 
• With a win at the No. 1 position against Campbell last week, Lizette secured her fourth straight season winning double-digit singles matches. 
• With 10 wins this season, Lizette has moved into 12th place on Elon's all-time Division I singles wins list, as the senior is up to 49 with the maroon and gold. She needs just one more victory to become the 12^th player to reach 50 singles victories in Elon's Division I history. 
• Lizette has won seven of her last nine completed singles matches and has the second most wins on the team, trailing only her sister Mariana. 
• Lizette has also moved up to a tie for 10th all-time on Elon's Division I doubles wins list, as she currently sits at 44 career wins. Of those, 32 have come with partner Sibel Tanik. 
• Lizette is the only Elon player to play singles in every match this season. 
• In all three of her seasons with the Phoenix, Lizette has been an All-CAA performer in both singles and doubles. She was also selected as the 2020-21 CAA Rookie of the Year and was Elon's MVP for the 2020-21 campaign. 
• This fall, Lizette became Elon's first ever player to reach the quarterfinals of the main singles draw at ITA Carolina Regionals. She also made it to the quarterfinals of the event in doubles with partner Sibel Tanik, as the duo became Elon's first to advance that far in the main draw. 
• Lizette was tabbed as the CAA Player of the Week for the first time in her career on Jan. 23 after dropping just one game in a win at No. 2 singles against Longwood on Jan. 19. Lizette also won CAA Doubles Team of the Week that week with partner Sibel Tanik. 
• Read more about the Redings' journey from Leon, Mexico, to Elon and their relationship by clicking here.

 
LITTLE SISTER

• Mariana Reding has not been overshadowed by her older sister this season, as the freshman has been a star in both doubles and singles for the Phoenix. 
• The freshman has played both doubles and singles in 15 of Elon's 16 matches this season. 
• The younger Reding sister leads the Phoenix in singles victories with 11. She has won nine of her last 10 completed contests. 
• Over the last 10 matches, Mariana has won 18 of 22 completed sets. Of the 18 winning sets, 11 have come by 6-0, 6-1, 6-2 or 6-3 scores. 
• Reding has been versatile in singles this season, winning matches at the Nos. 2, 3 and 5 spots.
• Mariana is also third on the team in doubles victories. She has won nine this season alongside partner Madison Cordisco. The duo has primarily played the No. 2 position but made its debut appearance at the No. 1 spot against Salem on March 8. 
• On Feb. 20, Reding and Cordisco were tabbed as the CAA's Doubles Team of the Week after posting wins against Gardner-Webb and Shaw. It was the first CAA weekly award for both players. 
• To read more about Mariana's strong start to her freshman campaign courtesy of Rising Phoenix, by clicking here. 

 
BERGERON BRINGING THE NOISE

• Since making her Elon debut on Feb. 9 against South Carolina State, freshman Simone Bergeron has made noise on the court for the maroon and gold. 
• The freshman has teamed up with fellow freshman Ella Suk for nine victories at No. 3 doubles, the second most wins for an Elon doubles team this season. 
• In their nine victories together, Bergeron and Suk have combined to go 54-16 in total games. They have helped the Phoenix win 11 of its last 12 doubles points, a stretch that started in Bergeron's first match against South Carolina State.
• On March 5, Bergeron and Suk became the third Elon doubles team this season to take home CAA Doubles Team of the Week. 
• Bergeron made her singles debut on Feb. 17 against Shaw as part of a 7-0 Elon win. The freshman did not drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 victory at the No. 6 spot. 
• Since making her first singles appearance, Bergeron has played the Nos. 4-6 spots in Elon's last six matches. She has gone 7-0 in completed contests this season and is 14-1 in total sets and 89-30 in games. In her other singles match that went unfinished, she led 6-3, 5-2 when the contest was halted. 
• In total, Bergeron is 16-2 across doubles and singles this season in completed matches. 

 
SURGING SUK

• Ella Suk is also having a stellar freshman campaign with the Phoenix and has played in every match this season in either doubles or singles. 
• Suk has combined for 19 victories across doubles and singles this season, as leads the team with 11 in doubles to go along with eight in singles. 
• The freshman has won matches at three singles positions this season, with three each coming at the Nos. 4 and 6 spots. In her last 11 appearances, Suk has collected seven wins, with all of those coming in straight sets.
• Suk's 11 doubles wins are the most on the team this season, nine of which have come alongside fellow freshman Simone Bergeron. Her other victories came with Madison Cordisco and Miray Konar. 
• On March 5, Suk and Bergeron became the third Elon doubles team this season to take home CAA Doubles Team of the Week.

 
STANDOUT SOPHOMORES

• Back for their sophomore seasons with the Phoenix are Madison Cordisco and Helen Sarikulaya, both of whom were key contributors last year. 
• Sarikulaya has recorded nine consecutive singles wins, with the victories coming at the Nos. 4, 5 and 6 spots.
• The sophomore has three wins by a 6-0, 6-0 score this season, and has won five sets without dropping a game. 
• In Elon's most recent win against East Carolina, Sarikulauya came from a set down to keep her winning streak alive. The comeback win was her second of the season from a set down and the third of her career. 
• During her current nine-match singles winning streak, Sarikulaya has gone 18-2 in sets in completed matches, with 13 of those coming by 6-0, 6-1 or 6-2 scores. 
• In her debut season with the maroon and gold a year ago, Sarikulaya won 12 doubles matches and was part of two CAA Doubles Team of the Week selections. She also won 11 singles contests playing the Nos. 2-4 spots.
• Sarikulaya was one of two Elon players to qualify for the main singles draw at October's ITA Carolina Regionals. She won a pair of matches in the qualifying draw to advance into the main draw. 
• Through Elon's first 16 matches this season, Cordisco is second on the team in doubles victories with 10, nine of which have come at the No. 2 position alongside partner Mariana Reding. The tandem won CAA Doubles Team of the Week on Feb. 20. 
• Cordisco made her first singles appearance in nearly 10 months on Feb. 17 against Shaw, winning in straight sets at the No. 5 spot. Read more about her singles return courtesy of Rising Phoenix by clicking here.
• In Elon's match against Methodist on March 8, Cordisco again played singles and did not drop a game in a 6-0, 6-0 win at the No. 6 spot. 
• Cordisco was selected to the All-CAA Second Team for doubles after going 11-5 on the season with Julie Ball and Sarikulaya as partners. She added four singles victories at the No. 2 position in 11 appearances.  

 
KONAR RETURNS

• Miray Konar is in her second year with the Phoenix after transferring to the program from Western Carolina.  
• Konar has won four straight singles matches, including a 6-0, 6-0 victory against Salem on March 8. 
• Konar is Elon's only player to win at four singles positions this season, as she has at least one victory at each of the Nos. 3-6 spots. 
• She also picked up a pair of doubles wins with partner Helen Sarikulaya against Methodist and Salem, helping the Phoenix clinch both doubles points. 
• The junior from Izmir, Turkey, was tabbed as Elon's Most Improved Player for the 2022-23 campaign after playing an important role in Elon's singles and doubles lineups.
• Konar won eight of her nine completed singles contests last season, with the lone loss coming in Elon's final match of the season. 
• In doubles, Konar posted nine wins and earned CAA Doubles Team of the Week on two occasions, both with Sarikulaya.

 
PUTTING THE DUB IN DOUBLES

• Elon has successfully converted the doubles point in 11 of the last 12 matches, a streak that began with the team's home opener against South Carolina State on Feb. 10.
• In that stretch, the Phoenix has gone 17-6 in completed doubles matches and led by a break in two contests that went unfinished.
• Over the last 12 matches, three Elon teams have tallied at least seven wins in doubles. The teams of Madison Cordisco and Mariana Reding and Simone Bergeron and Ella Suk both have nine wins primarily at the Nos. 2 and 3 spots, while Sibel Tanik and Lizette Reding have won seven contests in that span at No. 1 doubles. 
• In the last 12 matches, Elon's doubles pairings have combined to go 195-97 in total games. 
• Three Elon tandems have won CAA Doubles Team of the Week this season. Sibel Tanik and Lizette Reding won the honor on Jan. 23, followed by Madison Cordisco and Mariana Reding on Feb. 20. Bergeron and Suk most recently took home the honor on Tuesday. 
• This is the first season since joining the CAA that Elon has had three different doubles teams take home the honor. In the last two seasons, the Phoenix has had eight CAA Doubles Team of the Week winners after amassing six in its first eight seasons in the conference. 

 
SINGLES SUCCESS

• In the last 11 matches, the Phoenix is 52-9 in completed singles contests. Of those wins, 43 have come in straight sets. 
• All eight of Elon's players have won at least two singles matches during the nine-match winning streak. Six of Elon's players have won at least four matches in this stretch. 
• Elon holds a winning record at all six singles positions this season. 
• The Phoenix has utilized eight different singles lineups over the last 11 matches. 

 
MEET THE CAPTAINS: ELON'S DYNAMIC DUO

• Elon's two seniors – Lizette Reding and Sibel Tanik – were selected as team captains for the 2023-24 season. 
• Reding and Tanik have been Elon's signature doubles tandem the last three seasons, as they have paired up for 28 victories at the No. 1 position. 
• In each of the last two seasons, Reding and Tanik have earned All-CAA honors in doubles while playing together. Both players have also been All-CAA in singles each of the last two years. 
• To learn more about Elon's captains courtesy of Rising Phoenix, click here. 

 
THE ANDERSON ERA

• Head coach Elizabeth Anderson is in her 20th season leading the maroon and gold. 
• Anderson has turned Elon into a consistent winner. Under her guidance, the Phoenix has posted 17 consecutive winning seasons, all of which have included double-digit victories. 
• In Elon's final season in the Southern Conference, Anderson led the maroon and gold to the program's first NCAA Tournament berth in 2013. The Phoenix won its first Southern Conference championship that season to qualify.
• Since joining the CAA in 2014-15 season, Elon has won at least one match in all eight of its CAA Tournament appearances. Anderson led the program to the CAA championship match for the first time in 2022. 
• Since taking over as head coach in 2005, Anderson has tallied 286 victories at Elon.
• During Anderson's time at Elon, she has had a total of 51 all-conference selections, four freshmen of the year award winners, one conference player of the year and a conference tournament most outstanding performer.
• Anderson was named CAA Coach of the Year in 2016 after leading Elon to a 14-win season and a berth in the CAA semifinals. 
• Elon has also been a strong performer in the classroom during Anderson's tenure. The program has earned All-ITA Academic Team honors in 18 consecutive seasons. 

 
ELON TO HOST THE 2024 CAA TOURNAMENT 

• For the sixth time, Elon will host the CAA Tournament from April 24-28 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
• With the addition of Campbell to the conference this season, this will be the first CAA Tournament to feature 13 teams. 
• Elon last hosted the tournament in 2022 when it reached the league's championship match for the first time. 
• Five of the last seven CAA Tournaments have been hosted by Elon. William & Mary won four of those while James Madison took the other. 

 
SCOUTING NO. 31 WAKE FOREST

• Currently on a four-match winning streak, the Demon Deacons enter Friday with a 12-6 record on the season. Before taking on the Phoenix on Friday, Wake Forest will face Duke at 3:30 p.m. 
• The Demon Deacons are ranked No. 31 in the current ITA team rankings. 
• Wake Forest is 3-1 this season in home matches. 
• In their most recent outing on March 17, the Demon Deacons took down Syracuse 5-2 on the road. 
• Wake Forest's current winning streak includes victories against Furman, Western Carolina, Furman, Boston College and Syracuse. The Demon Deacons have won seven of their last eight contests, with the only loss coming at North Carolina State. 
• Casie Wooten, the No. 35 ranked player in the current ITA singles rankings, has 11 singles victories this season, with all of them coming at the No. 1 position. 
• Sankavi Gownder also has 11 singles wins on the campaign, with the victories split across the Nos. 3-5 positions. 
• Whitney Pate, Jingyi Li, Brooke Killingsworth, Nevena Carton and Gownder all enter Friday on winning streaks of at least three matches in singles. Killingsworth has won her last five at the No. 2 spot and has the longest active winning streak on the team. 
• The Demon Deacons hold a winning record at all six singles positions. 
• Over the last eight matches, Wake Forest is 36-10 in completed singles matches.
• Killingsworth and Marcella Cruz are Wake Forest's top doubles duo, as they have teamed up for 10 wins at the No. 1 spot this season and are currently on a four-match winning streak. The duo is currently ranked No. 79 in the ITA doubles rankings. 
• Wake Forest has won three of its last four doubles points after losing its previous two. 
• The Demon Deacons are piloted by 14^th year head coach Jeff Wyshner. 

 
UP NEXT
Elon travels for a battle against CAA foe College of Charleston on March 25. The contest is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m.