ELON, N.C. – As a group, the Elon University women's tennis team has rattled off seven consecutive wins. Impressively, one of Elon's youngest players has now done the same. 

Freshman Mariana Reding extended her winning streak in singles to seven with a win at the No. 3 spot Tuesday against Fairfield, as she topped Nicolette Loeffler 6-1, 6-4. The victory helped the Phoenix to a 7-0 sweep. 

Reding's game plan was to be aggressive tactically to keep her opponent on her back foot, which she believed she executed well. 

"It was a really tough match. She was a lefty and sometimes I struggle with the lefty serve, but I managed to do it well," Reding said. "I like stepping into the court, so today, the plan was making her run on her backhand so I could step in and hit winners."

Through Elon's first 12 matches this season, Reding leads the team with nine singles victories playing at three different positions. She has appeared at the No. 3 spot in each of the team's last four contests and has dropped just one set in those outings. 

Reding has not lost in singles since Feb. 9 and is 14-2 in sets during her seven-match winning streak. The freshman attributes her early success this season to the support from her teammates and also her clarity on the court. 

"I've been playing more free. I love having my teammates as a support," Reding said. "I feel like I always have someone to trust. I feel like I'm playing really well and being really smart and I like that."
 
In addition to her success in singles, Reding is also tied for second on the team in doubles wins with seven. All of the victories have come with partner Madison Cordisco at the No. 2 position. The duo earned CAA Doubles Team of the Week honors on Feb. 20. 

Elon's three freshmen have been crucial in sparking its seven-match winning streak. Reding, Simone Bergeron and Ella Suk have combined for 16 singles victories during the streak and have also been a part of 12 doubles wins. 

With the freshmen coming into their own and Elon's returning players contributing as well, Reding believes the team is forging a strong chemistry that is helping them have success on the courts. 

"We have learned the louder we are, the more we support each other, the better," Reding said. "We've been really, really loud supporting each other and it's been helping us so much. I love my team."
 

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'Rising Phoenix' is a new student-led initiative to cover Elon Athletics. Through innovative content creation and storytelling, Elon University students will have the opportunity to highlight the moments, people and events that make an impact, leveraging the athletic department's various web and social media platforms for distribution. Follow Rising Phoenix on Twitter (@EURisingPhoenix) and Instagram (@elonrisingphoenix). Interested in joining this initiative as a content creator (video, graphics, writing, storytelling, or more)? Contact Jacob Kisamore at jkisamore@elon.edu.

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