Tennis Opens Fall at Quinnipiac Friday
9/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. - The Seton Hall tennis team opens its 2014-15 slate at a familiar site this Friday as the Pirates will travel to the Quinnipiac Invitational for the first of four tournaments scheduled for the fall.
The Pirates have enjoyed a high level of success at the three-day, season-opening event in recent years and will bring a new-look squad into Hamden to square off with players representing Army, Navy, Connecticut, Sacred Heart, Hartford, BIG EAST rival Providence and the host Bobcats.
Junior Hannah Liljekvist (Djursholm, Sweden) headlines a group of four returnees for the Pirates after coming on to capture All-BIG EAST honors in her first season at The Hall after spending her freshman campaign at Saint Mary's (CA).
Liljekvist was named an All-Conference performer after registering 13 singles wins from the #2 spot in the spring but her 19 total individual victories last season rank third among the returning group.
Junior Julia Keenan (Greenland, N.H.) led all Pirates with 23 singles wins in all competitions last season while senior Madison Shoemaker (Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia) finished with a career-high 21 victories after leading the squad in both singles (nine) and doubles (nine) triumphs last fall.
Fellow senior Anna Guryanova (Moscow, Russia) tied for third on the team with six victories last fall and completed the year with a singles winning percentage over .600 for the third consecutive season.
The veteran group will be leaned upon heavily to help integrate a quartet of newcomers that includes Gonzaga transfer Isabell Klingert (Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) as well as freshmen Katie Kim (Honolulu, Hawaii), Marisa Quevedo (Tyler, Texas) and Luize Liva Strike (Riga, Latvia).
Head coach Greg Wyzykowski's squad will be without longtime standouts Chloe Sher and Rocio Portela who wrapped up their decorated careers in the spring. Now entering his eighth year at the helm for The Hall, Wyzykowski feels that despite the graduation of one of the most successful tandems in program history, his squad may in fact feature a deeper lineup than it has at any point in his tenure.
"I have been extremely pleased with the level of competition in practice heading into the season," said Wyzykowski. "All of our challenge matches have been tightly contested. There has been a tremendous competitive spirit from those on the court which I think has helped rise the overall level of play but there has also been great support from the other members of the team as well. Everybody knows they will have to work to earn their spot in the lineup and from top to bottom; we have a number of quality options."
The trip to Quinnipiac will be followed by a pair of engagements at tournaments hosted by service academies - first Army followed by Navy - over the next month leading into the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Northeast Regional Championships hosted by Yale.
Both Liljekvist and Shoemaker were selected for the invite-only championships last fall, competing as a doubles pair while Liljekvist was also chosen to enter the singles draw before being forced to withdraw.
The Pirates will head into the winter break with a lone dual match at Fordham on Saturday, October 25.
With a host of familiar faces assuming larger roles and four team members that will be making their Seton Hall debuts this fall, here is a closer look at the eight Pirates that will represent Seton Hall on the tennis court this season:
| RETURNEES | |
 | Anna Guryanova - Senior - Moscow, Russia Career Tournament Highlights: 19-7 (.730) singles record, 2012 Bill and Sandra Moore Invitational D Flight Champion, Two-time finalist at the Quinnipiac Invitational, 2011 Eastern Championships B Flight Doubles Champion Wyzykowski on Guryanova: "Anna worked very hard over the summer and so far it has shown. She has always had weapons and she has always been someone who will never quit. I think the difference this year is she came in with her timing a little more steady and she has cut down on the points she is giving away." |
 | Julia Keenan - Junior - Greenland, N.H. Career Tournament Highlights: 18-5 (.782) singles record, 2012 Bill and Sandra Moore Invitational C Flight Champion, 2012 Quinnipiac Invitational C Flight Champion, Two-time finalist at the Quinnipiac Invitational, 2012 USTA Collegiate Invitational 4th Flight Doubles Finalist Wyzykowski on Keenan: "Julia is capable of so much athletically. We continue to work to apply that and as she progresses, she is only going to be a stronger part of our team. She knows what it takes to succeed and I think the experience of last year has only increased her will to win." |
 | Hannah Liljekvist - Junior - Djursholm, Sweden Seton Hall Career Tournament Highlights: 6-4 (.600) singles record, Selected to compete in both singles and doubles at ITA Northeast Regional Championships, 2013 West Point Invitational 1st Flight Finalist, 2013 Quinnipiac Invitational quarterfinals Wyzykowski on Liljekvist: "Hannah is going to be strong at the top for us. She is a strong competitor who spreads that enthusiasm to her teammates as well. Hannah had some terrific results last year but even when she came up short, it wasn't by much so we know she is always going to be in the match. I see her having another great year and helping us build on what we did last season." |
 | Madison Shoemaker - Senior - Halfmoon Bay, British Columbia Career Tournament Highlights: 21-12 (.636) singles record, 2013 Quinnipiac Invitational A Flight Doubles Finalist, 2012 USTA Collegiate Invitational 4th Flight Doubles Finalist, 2012 Quinnipiac Invitational C Flight Semifinals, 2012 Bill and Sandra Moore Invitational C Flight Semifinals Wyzykowski on Shoemaker: "Madi brings experience and a great skill set, particularlly in doubles, to our team. As a senior leader she has been great and right now, we are looking at potentially pairing her with one of the freshmen because she did such a great job mentoring a young partner last season." |
| NEWCOMERS | |
 | Katie Kim - Freshman - Honolulu, Hawaii Prior Seton Hall: Attended the Punahou School where she helped capture a doubles state championship in 2012; Enjoyed an extended run as the top-ranked player in her age group within the United States Tennis Association (USTA) Hawaii Pacific section Wyzykowski on Kim: "As Katie gets more comfortable here, she definitely has the ability to be one of our top players and we are very fortunate to hve her given how late in the process we got started. As she continues to compete against strong players on a daily basis, she only gets better and her potential is exciting." |
 | Isabell Klingert - Junior - Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany Prior Seton Hall: Transfer from Gonzaga University where she played two years; Helped the Bulldogs achieve a top-70 ranking in the nation; Finished third on the team with 13 individual victories in 2013-14 Wyzykowski on Klingert: "Isabell has already integrated very well with our team. Having played #5 for a nationally-ranked program, she definitely brings experience that can benefit us. I have already seen her hit some great shots and as she continues to become more consistent, she will provide another quality option for us wherever she is needed in the lineup." |
 | Marisa Quevedo - Freshman - Tyler, Texas Prior Seton Hall: Attended the Brook Hill School; Ranked as high as the top-10 in Texas as a senior; Recorded over 40 wins on the United States Tennis Association (USTA) junior circuit in 2013-14 Wyzykowski on Quevedo: "I saw Marisa play at a clay court tournament last year. Immediately, I was impressed by her demeanor which I think fits perfectly into the tone we want to set for our program but beyond that she was successful. Her competitiveness has already shown in practice. She is not satisfied with anything less than her best but at the same time, she is able to stay composed in the moment which is impressive for a freshman." |
 | Luize Liva Strike - Freshman - Riga, Latvia Prior Seton Hall: Member of the Latvian National Team on several levels; Completed 2013 as the fifth-ranked U18 player and among the top-20 female players in the country according to the Latvian national rankings Wyzykowski on Strike: "Based on her past results, Luize is already equipped to compete at the top of the lineup. The luxury that we have with Hannah here is that she does not need to step into that #1 spot right away and we can allow her more time to become acclimated with such a new setting. By the end of the fall and certainly in the spring however, she will play an integral role for us." |
