ELON, N.C. – For the first time in nearly a month, the Elon University women's tennis team (11-7) is back at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center for a pair of weekend matches. The Phoenix will host CAA foe UNCW on Saturday at 1 p.m. and No. 67 VCU on Sunday at noon. 
 
HOW TO FOLLOW

• Saturday's match against the Seahawks will begin with doubles at 1 p.m. and will conclude with singles shortly after. 
• Live scoring for Saturday's match against UNCW will be available here.
• The first 50 fans at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center for Saturday's match against UNCW will receive a free Elon bucket hat. 
• Sunday's contest against the Rams will start at noon with doubles and singles to come after.
• Live scoring for Sunday's match against VCU will be available here.  
• Admission to the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center is free. 

 
THE MATCHUPS

• Elon leads the head-to-head against UNCW 16-7 and is 10-1 against the Seahawks since joining the CAA prior for the 2015 season. 
• The Phoenix defeated UNCW 5-2 last season in Wilmington. Miray Konar and Helen Sarikulaya clinched doubles with a thrilling tiebreak win at the No. 3 spot, which was followed by singles victories from Sibel Tanik, Lizette Reding, Julie Ball and Olivia Archer. 
• Elon has won four straight home matches against the Seahawks and is 9-3 all-time against UNCW at home. 
• Elon's current seven-match winning streak against the Seahawks included a 4-0 victory in the 2022 CAA Tournament at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
• VCU has won all five meetings between the Rams and Phoenix. 
• The Rams have defeated the Phoenix both times they have met at Elon, including the tightest match played between the teams in 2018, when VCU won 4-3. 
• In the most recent matchup between the Rams and Phoenix, VCU came away victorious by a 7-0 score on Jan. 27, 2022, in Richmond. 
• All five matches between VCU and Elon have been played since 2017. 

 
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 came up just short in a 4-3 loss at CAA rival College of Charleston on March 26. 
• The Phoenix won Nos. 1 and 2 doubles to take its 13^th doubles point in the last 14 matches. 
• After College of Charleston won at the No. 3 spot, Sibel Tanik and Lizette Reding answered with a 6-3 victory at the No. 1 position. It was their 10^th win of the season and 34^th overall as a duo.  
• In a back-and-forth affair on Court 2, Madison Cordisco and Mariana Reding prevailed in a tiebreak to clinch doubles for the Phoenix. The duo won a deuce point trailing 6-5 in the match to force a tiebreak. After falling behind 4-2 in the breaker, Elon's No. 2 tandem won five points in a row to win the tiebreaker 7-4. It was also their 10^th victory as they became Elon's third doubles pairing to reach double-digit wins this season. 
• Simone Bergeron swiftly made it 2-0 for Elon with a 6-2, 6-0 win on Court 6 against Charleston's Anna Neyestani. The freshman improved to 8-1 on the season with the victory and is now 17-3 in sets in completed contests. 
• The Cougars responded a pair of wins on Courts 2 and 3 to level the match at 2-2. 
• Playing the No. 1 singles spot for the sixth time this season and the fifth time in the last seven matches, Lizette Reding notched the 50^th singles win of her Elon career. The senior topped Maja Jekauc 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 to earn the milestone victory. It was her second win of the season and sixth of her career in a final set. 
• Charleston again tied the match at 3-3 with a three-set win at the No. 5 position.
• With the match down to Court 4, the Cougars won in dramatic fashion to clinch a 4-3 victory. The marathon match went back-and-forth, with Charleston's Peyton Brotzman winning the first set from a break down. In the second, Brotzman fought from 4-1 down to take a 5-4 lead. However, Suk won the next two games and had a set point at deuce in the set's 12^th game. Brotzman saved the set point and carried the momentum through the ensuing tiebreak, which she won 7-3 to secure the victory.
• This was the ninth straight match between Elon and College of Charleston to end with either a 4-3 or 5-2 score. Seven of those matches have ended with a 4-3 final score. 
• The loss was Elon's first against a CAA opponent this season, as the Phoenix had won its previous two against conference foes. 

 
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 on March 13, Lizette secured her fourth straight season winning double-digit singles matches. 
• Lizette has won eight of her last 11 completed singles matches and is tied with Mariana for the most wins on the team (11). 
• Lizette is the only Elon player to play singles in every match this season. 
• In five of Elon's last seven matches, Lizette has appeared at No. 1 singles. She has played the No. 2 spot in every other match. 
• Lizette has also moved up to a tie for eighth all-time on Elon's Division I doubles wins list, as she currently sits at 46 career wins. Of those, 34 have come with partner Sibel Tanik. 
• 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 has also won CAA Doubles Team of the Week twice this season with partner Sibel Tanik, most recently on March 26.  
• Read more about the Redings' journey from Leon, Mexico, to Elon and their relationship by clicking here.

 
LIZETTE REACHES 50 WINS

• With a 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 win at the No. 1 spot against College of Charleston on March 26, Lizette Reding reached 50 career singles wins for the maroon and gold. 
• Lizette is the 12^th player in Elon's Division I history to reach 50 singles wins. 
• During her freshman campaign, Lizette notched a career-best 16 wins on her way to winning CAA Rookie of the Year. She then won 11 matches as a sophomore in 2022 and 12 as a junior in 2023. 
• Of her 50 wins, Lizette has posted seven at the No. 1 spot, 21 at the No. 2 position, 19 at the No. 3 slot and three at No. 4 singles. 
• Three of Lizette's wins have come at the CAA Tournament, including two a season ago. 
• With her 11 singles wins this season, Lizette has moved into a tie for 10^th on Elon's all-time Division I win list. She can move into a four-way tie for sixth with one more victory and needs three more wins to tie for fifth. 

 
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 17 of Elon's 18 matches this season. 
• The younger Reding sister is tied with her older sister for the most singles wins on the team (11). She has won nine of her last 12 completed contests. 
• Over the last 12 matches, Mariana has won 18 of 26 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 tied for third on the team in doubles victories. She has won 10 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. 
• In Elon's most recent outing against College of Charleston, Mariana and Cordisco clinched a dramatic doubles point with a tiebreak win at the No. 2 spot. 
• 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. 

 
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 six of her last 10 appearances.
• In Elon's win over Campbell on March 13, 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 16 matches she has competed in this season. She has played the No. 2 position in the other four. 
• 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 45 doubles wins since joining the Phoenix, tied for the 10^th most in Elon's Division I history. In the last two seasons, Tanik has paired with Lizette Reding for 34 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 has earned two CAA Doubles Team of the Week honors, the first coming on Jan. 23 after the pair won at the No. 1 spot on Jan. 19 against Longwood and the second on March 25 following a 2-0 week at the No. 1 spot against East Carolina and a ranked Wake Forest team. 
• 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.

 
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 10 victories at No. 3 doubles, tied for the most wins for an Elon doubles team this season. 
• The duo of Bergeron and Suk clinched doubles for the Phoenix against No. 31 Wake Forest on March 22 with a 6-4 victory. 
• In their 10 victories together, Bergeron and Suk have combined to go 60-20 in total games. They have helped the Phoenix win 13 of its last 14 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 10 matches. She has gone 8-1 in completed contests this season and is 17-3 in total sets. In her other singles match that went unfinished, she led 6-3, 5-2 when the contest was halted. 
• In total, Bergeron is 18-4 across doubles and singles this season in completed matches.

 
SENSATIONAL 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 20 victories across doubles and singles this season, as she leads the team with 12 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 13 appearances, Suk has collected seven wins, with all of those coming in straight sets.
• Suk's 12 doubles wins have come with three different partners. Ten have come alongside fellow freshman Simone Bergeron, while 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 won nine of her last 11 completed singles matches, 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 her 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. 
• Over her last 11 matches, Sarikulaya has gone 19-6 in sets in completed matches, with 14 of those victorious sets 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 18 matches this season, Cordisco is second on the team in doubles victories with 11, 10 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 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 has won four of her last five singles appearances. 
• 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 13 of the last 14 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 21-8 in completed doubles matches and led by a break in two contests that went unfinished.
• Over the last 14 matches, three Elon teams have tallied at least eight wins in doubles. Simone Bergeron and Ella Suk both have 10 wins at the No. 3 spot, Mariana Reding and Madison Cordisco have 10 primarily playing the No. 2 position, while Sibel Tanik and Lizette Reding have won nine contests in that span at No. 1 doubles. All three duos are tied for the team lead with 10 victories. 
• In the last 14 matches, Elon's doubles pairings have combined to go 212-126 in total games. 
• Elon won its first doubles point against a ranked opponent since 2018 on March 22 against No. 31 Wake Forest. It was Elon's first against a ranked team in its last 12 tries. 
• Three Elon tandems have won CAA Doubles Team of the Week this season. Sibel Tanik and Lizette Reding have won the honor twice. Madison Cordisco and Mariana Reding took home the award on Feb. 20. Bergeron and Suk earned the recognition on March 5. 
• 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 13 matches, the Phoenix is 54-19 in completed singles contests. Of those wins, 44 have come in straight sets. 
• Elon holds a winning record at five of six singles positions this season. 
• All eight of Elon's players have won at least two singles matches this season. Six Phoenix players have tallied six or more victories. 
• The Phoenix has utilized eight different singles lineups over the last 13 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. 

 
HOME SWEET HOME

• Elon is off to a 10-1 start at home in 2024, with nine wins at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center and one at Piedmont Indoor Tennis Center in Greensboro. 
• Since losing its first match of the season at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, Elon has won its last nine appearances at the facility.
• The Phoenix has won the doubles point in 10 of its 11 home matches this season.
• In nine of its 11 home matches, including its contest at Piedmont Indoor Tennis, Elon has won at least four singles contests. Against Hampton on Feb. 24, the Phoenix won all three singles matches that were completed. 
• Elon is 2-0 at home this season against CAA opponents, with wins against Hampton and Campbell. 
• Since its first season in the CAA in 2014, Elon has a 99-25 record in home matches. 

 
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 UNCW

• The Seahawks hold an 8-5 record this season entering a Friday match against North Carolina Central in Durham. 
• UNCW is 2-1 this season in true road matches and 4-1 overall away from home. 
• In their last completed match, the Seahawks defeated George Washington 4-0 in Wilmington. 
• UNCW is 2-3 against CAA opponents this season, with wins against Hampton and Towson and losses to William & Mary, College of Charleston and Drexel. 
• Elif Albayrak leads the Seahawks with nine singles wins on the season, which have come at the Nos. 3 and 4 positions. 
• Katelyn Hubbard is second on the team with eight singles victories and Eda Arli has seven wins at the No. 1 spot to rank third. 
• The Seahawks hold a winning record at five of six singles positions this season. 
• Arli and Albayrak pace UNCW with a 9-1 record at No. 1 doubles. They are 4-0 in completed matches against CAA competition. 
• Stela Jokismovic and Alicia Eberwein have teamed up for seven victories in doubles this season, with five at the No. 2 spot and two at the No. 3 position. 
• The Seahawks have captured the doubles point in three of its five matches against CAA teams this season. UNCW has won three of its last four doubles points overall. 
• UNCW is led by ninth year head coach Hans Olsen. 

 
SCOUTING NO. 67 VCU

• The Rams are 12-5 this season entering a road match Friday against James Madison. 
• In its last outing, VCU lost a pair of matches in Johnson City, Tennessee, as the Rams fell to East Tennessee State on March 29 before dropping a 4-1 decision to Xavier in a neutral-site battle. 
• The Rams are 2-3 in true road matches this season and 2-4 in matches away from home. 
• VCU checked in at No. 67 in this week's ITA rankings. The Rams have been ranked as high as No. 44 this season. 
• The Rams have amassed several impressive victories this season, most notably against Maryland and West Virginia. 
• Four VCU players have reached double-digit wins this season. The Rams are 64-34 overall in singles. 
• Yelizaveta Karlova has been VCU's primary No. 1 singles option this season, tallying 11 wins at the position. 
• Emma Rizzetto leads the Rams with 13 singles victories, nine of which have come at the No. 5 spot. 
• Tiziana Rossini (11) and Emma Valletta (10) have also reached double digit singles victories on the season. 
• The Rams have won 12 matches at each of the Nos. 1, 5 and 6 spots. They also have double-digit victories at the No. 4 position. 
• Rizetto and Rossini have been VCU's most prolific doubles tandem with 12 wins, 10 of which have come at the No. 2 position. 
• Karlova and Valetta have nine victories of their own at the No. 1 spot. 
• In total, VCU is 34-16 in completed doubles contests this season and have a winning percentage of at least 65% at all three positions. 
• The Rams have lost three of their last four doubles points after winning their previous seven. 
• Vivian Segnini is in her fourth year guiding the Rams as head coach. 

 
UP NEXT
Elon plays its final road match of the regular season against CAA rival William & Mary on April 13 in Williamsburg. The contest, the first meeting between the teams since last season's thrilling CAA Tournament semifinal, will begin at 1 p.m.