KU tennis opens season in Little Rock

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s tennis team will travel to Little Rock, Arkansas to kick off its fall season at the Little Rock Invitational Friday, September 23 to Sunday, September 25.
 
After only playing against each other the first few weeks of school, the Jayhawks will face three teams this weekend; Arkansas and TCU, who both made appearances at the NCAA Tournament in May, and Big 12 Conference foe West Virginia.
 
“It’s an opportunity to go out and compete against other teams and see where we’re at,” said head coach Todd Chapman. “We play all three teams in the spring. It’s a good chance to see where they’re at in the first tournament out of the gate and also see what we need to be prepared for come spring time. I think it’s a tough challenge to start with.”
 
There will be three flights of singles with two players in each flight and one flight of doubles. Each player will continue on, win or lose, through the carousel bracket.
 
KU doubles pairs will be: No. 56 Nina Khmelnitckaia and Janet Koch, Tess Bernard-Feigenbaum and Anastasia Rychagova, and incoming freshmen, Tanya Nikolaeva and Maria Toran Ribes.
 
“It’s fun to watch the new players coming in,” said Chapman. “We’re excited to see them compete and put on the Kansas uniform and see where they start to fit in within the team.”
 
Koch finished runner-up in the Flight B singles draw last season in the event, falling in three sets in the title match.
 
The Jayhawks will begin play at 9 a.m., Friday morning at the Little Rock Country Club.
 
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