SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - The Slippery Rock University women's tennis team will play its first regional opponent of the season when it meets Salem University for a 5 p.m. Saturday match at the Glen Creek Tennis Club in South Park, Pennsylvania.
 
LIVE COVERAGE
Live results for Saturday's match will be provided at the below link.
 
MATCH 5 DETAILS
Opponent: Salem University
Date: Saturday – 5 p.m.
Location: Glen Creek Tennis Club – South Park, Pennsylvania
Live Results: Link
All-Time Series: Tied 1-1
Last Played: March 21, 2023 (SRU won 6-1)
 
SERIES HISTORY
Slippery Rock and Salem have split two dual matches in the all-time series with the Tigers earning a 4-3 victory during the 2020 season and SRU taking their 2023 match, 6-1.
 
Individually, current members of The Rock's roster have limited, but highly successful, experience against their Salem counterparts. Georgie Lancaster and Dari Sakhanova both hold 2-0 career singles records versus Salem athletes while Tina Slovak is 1-0.
 
SRU vs. SU (Individual records)
Georgie Lancaster (2-0)
2024-25: Salome Molina* (Won 6-7, 7-6, 10-8)
2022-23: Kylie Diaz* (Won 4-6, 6-3, 10-3)
Dari Sakhanova (2-0)
2024-25: Galia Mezouar* (Won 6-3, 6-0)
2022-23: Daria Korsakova* (Won 6-0, 6-0)
Tina Slovak (1-0)
2022-23: Melanie Coric (Won 6-0, 6-2)
 
* = Active on Salem roster
 
D2 OPENER ON DECK
Saturday's contest will serve as The Rock's first dual match against a fellow Division II team this season. SRU is a dominant 21-5 (.808) in its first match of the year against Division II competition under head coach Matt Meredith. The last time Slippery Rock lost its D2 opener was back in 2014 against West Liberty (6-3).   
 
THE ROCK vs. D2
While Slippery Rock has established itself as a tough draw for any opponent it faces, regardless of what level of the NCAA they compete at, The Rock have been stellar against fellow Division II schools.
 
Over the last seven years, Slippery Rock has won 61.9 percent of its matches overall (78-48). Already a great winning percentage, that mark moves up to an even more impressive 69.3 percent (68-30) over the same time versus only fellow Division II teams.
 
INSIDE THE REGION
Simply put, Slippery Rock has proven to be nearly unbeatable of late in regular season Atlantic Region competition. Dating back to the 2018-19 season Slippery Rock holds a 46-13 (.780) record against in-region opponents during the regular season.
 
CLOSE CALLS
While The Rock heads into the weekend with an overall record of just 1-3, SRU has been in every match it has played – three of which being against Division I teams. All four contests have been 4-3 decisions.
 
BALAGUER BRAU CLAIMS WEEKLY HONOR
Amaia Balaguer Brau was named the first PSAC West Athlete of the Week for the 2024-25 season.
 
The honor is the fourth such of Balaguer Brau's Slippery Rock career. Tuesday's award was the first released by the PSAC this season. It encompassed an athlete's entire body of work to date. In addition to a strong start to the fall, Balaguer Brau earned the award on the back of her ITA Atlantic Region Singles Championship in the fall.
 
ITA RANKINGS CHECK
Slippery Rock was well-represented in the individual national and Atlantic Region rankings released by the ITA in November. Salem also has one singles athlete - Aishwarya Prasad Kailaje – ranked in the region at No. 16.
 
National Singles
No. 7: Amaia Balaguer Brau
 
Atlantic Region Singles
No. 1: Amaia Balaguer Brau (SRU)
No. 6:  Alissia Kivi (SRU)
No. 10: Dari Sakhanova (SRU)
No. 11: Nicole Kempton (SRU)
No. 16: Aishwarya Prasad Kailaje (Salem)
No. 20: Tina Slovak (SRU)
 
National Doubles
No. 22: Nicole Kempton / Alissia Kivi (SRU)
 
Atlantic Region Doubles
No. 2: Nicole Kempton / Alissia Kivi (SRU)
No. 6: Dari Sakhanova / Tina Slovak (SRU)
No. 9: Amaia Balaguer Brau / Georgie Lancaster (SRU)
 
SLIPPERY ROCK PRIMER
• Roster: Link
• Stats: Link
• Overall Record: 1-3
• Home Record: 0-0
• Away Record: 1-1
• Neutral Site Record: 0-2
• Streak: L1
• Last Five Matches: N/A
• Head Coach: Matt Meredith | 27th season (379-217, .637)
 
LAST TIME OUT
Slippery Rock dropped another close decision to a Division I foe as part of a 4-3 loss to Bucknell Feb. 22 at the Westwood Racquet Club in Erie, Pennsylvania (Results).

SCOUTING THE ROCK
• Slippery Rock has earned the team doubles point in three of its first four matches this year.
 
• Amaia Balaguer Brau and Tina Slovak have been instrumental in The Rock's doubles success as the first-year partnership has resulted in a flawless 4-0 record out of the second flight.
 
• The nationally ranked doubles pairing of Nicole Kempton and Alissia Kivi are not only 2-1 as SRU's No. 1 team in dual matches, but they also hold a commanding 12-3 overall mark as a team.
 
• Slippery Rock's typical No. 3 doubles team has been comprised of Georgie Lancaster and Dari Sakhanova, who are 1-2 on the year.
 
• The trio of Slovak, Kivi and Kempton all head into the Salem match having won their last singles bouts.
 
• Much like her doubles record, Slovak is a perfect 3-0 in singles play while competing out of the fourth and fifth flights.
 
• A part of Kivi's 8-4 overall record as a freshman is a 2-2 dual match showing. She's won two straight contests between the second and third flights.
 
• Kempton snapped a three-match losing streak against Bucknell with a victory out of the third flight, pushing her overall record on the season above .500 to 6-5.
 
• The reigning PSAC West Athlete of the Week, Balaguer Brau will be looking to snap a personal two-match losing streak when she takes her position at the top of The Rock's singles lineup against Salem. Despite the recent losses, Balaguer Brau still holds a solid 10-6 overall record.
 
• The final two spots of The Rock's lineup are comprised of veterans Sakhanova (7-5) and Lancaster (3-6), both of whom have proven more than capable of registering victories for SRU throughout their careers.
 
SALEM PRIMER
• Roster: Link
• Stats: Link
• Overall Record: 0-1
• Home Record: 0-0
• Away Record: 0-1
• Neutral Site Record: 0-0
• Streak: L1
• Last Five Matches: N/A
• Head Coach: Dennis McNaboe
 
LAST TIME OUT
Salem opened its season with a close 4-3 loss to Ashland on Feb. 22 (Results).
 
PROBABLE LINEUP (DUAL MATCH RECORD)
Singles
1-Erna Brdarevic (1-0)
2-Galia Mezouar (0-1)
3-Aishwarya Prasad Kailaje (0-1)
4-Kylie Diaz (1-0)
5-Dasha Korsakova (0-1)
6-Kate Korsakova (0-1)
Doubles
1-Brdarevic / Mezouar (0-1)
2-D. Korsakova / K. Korsakova (1-0)
3-Diaz / Prasad Kailaje (1-0)
 
UP NEXT
Slippery Rock heads to Florida for its annual spring break trip for matches against Winona State, Bryant, No. 13 Saint Leo and Florida Southern.  





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