No. 3 seed Liberty will begin 2017 Big South Women's Tennis Championship competition versus No. 6 seed Campbell on Friday at noon at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex in Winston-Salem, N.C.
The four-day event will feature a first round match on Thursday (No. 8 Longwood vs. No. 9 Radford), quarterfinal bouts on Friday, semifinal showdowns on Saturday and the championship match on Sunday at noon.
How to Follow the Flames
Live results will be available for Friday's match between Liberty and Campbell and for any match the Lady Flames participate in at the Wake Forest Tennis Complex.
Follow @LUGameday on Twitter for live in-match updates for Liberty women's tennis throughout the week.
Series History vs. Campbell
Liberty is 8-3 all-time against Campbell. The Lady Flames defeated the Camels, 4-3, last Tuesday in Buies Creek, N.C. In that matchup, Liberty fell behind after losing the doubles point but rebounded to win four singles matches to earn the victory.
Big South Women's Tennis Championship History
The Liberty Lady Flames finished runner-up for the first time in school history at the 2016 Big South Women's Tennis Championship. Liberty was edged, 4-3, by Winthrop for the title. The Eagles own 18 Big South tournament titles, the most of any school in the Big South.
The Lady Flames are 9-16 all-time in the Big South Women's Tennis Championship.
Big South Regular Season Recap
Big South Conference teams wrapped up regular season competition, last Saturday. Here's a look at the final regular season standings:
| Team | Overall | Conference |
| Winthrop | 16-5 | 7-1 |
| Charleston Southern | 15-2 | 7-1 |
| Liberty | 11-11 | 7-1 |
| Gardner-Webb | 12-5 | 5-3 |
| UNC Asheville | 10-9 | 4-4 |
| Campbell | 8-12 | 3-5 |
| Presbyterian | 12-11 | 2-6 |
| Longwood | 6-12 | 1-6 |
| Radford | 7-12 | 0-8 |
Senior Mariely Hassey garnered Big South Women's Tennis Player of the Week selection in back-to-back weeks (Feb. 22, March 1), while Evangeline Crist claimed the award on Feb. 8.
Lady Flames Facts
Hassey paces Liberty with 18 singles victories during the 2016-17 season, including a 13-6 mark in the spring. Hassey sits in second place all-time in program history with 67 singles victories. The senior finished the regular season third in the Big South in both No. 5 singles winning percentage (.625) and No. 6 singles winning percentage (.778).
Crist is right behind her with 66 career singles victories, 16 coming during her junior season. Crist is 12-8 in dual matches this spring and 5-2 in the Big South, while sophomore Anna Dollar (13-6 spring, 6-1 Big South) and senior Emily Groeneveld (12-7 spring, 6-1 Big South) boast strong singles resumes as well. Groeneveld recently had a seven-match winning streak snapped.
Liberty's top two doubles units this year have been Crist and Dollar (16-10 overall, 7-7 spring) and Hassey and Groeneveld (15-10 overall, 12-6 spring). Crist is currently tied for No. 3 in program history with 73 career doubles victories. The Lady Flames are a collective 53-48 (.525) in doubles on the year, with a 31-29 (.517) mark, this spring.
Lady Flames freshman Eugenia Camacho (8-0) went unbeaten in Big South singles play in the regular season.
Scouting Campbell
The Camels posted a 3-5 record in Big South conference play, with their wins coming against Radford, Longwood and Presbyterian.
Head coach David Johnson's squad is led on the singles side by sophomore Alexandra Andrivot (11-7 at No. 1). Fellow sophomore Isabel Boada (8-7 spring, 6-5 at No. 5) and junior Nina Asanin (8-9 spring, 7-7 at No. 6) provide stability in the back half of the Campbell lineup.
In doubles, Johnson has utilized eight different combinations this spring. His top two units have been Andrivot and Boada (10-6 at No. 1) and Asanin and Georgina Segarra (6-3 at No. 3).
How Liberty Stacks Up Against the Other Big South Teams
No. 1 Winthrop
The Lady Flames' lone setback in Big South play was to the Eagles, 5-2, on April 1 in Rock Hill, S.C. Groeneveld and Camacho each earned a point for Liberty on that day.
Top two singles players (by spring record): Lauren Proctor (19-2 at No. 1) and Alisa Soloveva (15-6 at No. 2)
Top doubles unit (by spring record): Caitlin Cridland and Alisa Soloveva (16-5 at No. 2)
No. 2 Charleston Southern
Last Friday, Liberty defeated Charleston Southern, ending the Bucs' perfect season in the Big South and snapping their 14-match winning streak. The Lady Flames won the doubles point and three singles bouts (Crist, Dollar and Camacho).
Top two singles players (by spring record): Sophie Closssner (15-2, 12-1 at No. 2) and Kimberly Koerner (15-2, 11-2 at No. 4)
Top doubles unit (by spring record): Mi'Kola Cooper and Valeria Koussenkova (8-3 at No. 2)
No. 4 Gardner-Webb
The Lady Flames upended the Runnin' Bulldogs, 5-2, on March 31 in Boiling Springs, N.C. Liberty captured the doubles point and received singles victories from Crist, Dollar, Groeneveld and Hassey in the triumph.
Top two singles players (by spring record): Catherine White (14-3 at No. 5) and Daniela Naupari (13-4 at No. 3)
Top doubles unit (by spring record): Sarah Rieckmann and Catherine White (10-6, 9-5 at No. 2)
No. 5 UNC Asheville
Liberty and UNC Asheville met on Feb. 18 in Asheville, N.C. The Lady Flames bested the Bulldogs, 6-1, on that day to move to 3-0 in the Big South. Sophomore Aleksandra Panchenko had a thrilling come-from-behind victory (1-6, 6-2, 6-4) over Lauren Watson-Steele during that match.
Top two singles players (by spring record): Kylee Shipley (13-6, 10-0 at No. 3) and Emily Sidor (8-6, 7-2 at No. 6)
Top doubles unit (by spring record): Hannah Francisco and Kylee Shipley (11-6 at No. 1)
No. 7 Presbyterian
The Lady Flames hosted the Blue Hose on Senior Day, March 26. Liberty seniors Groeneveld and Hassey were honored prior to the contest, delivered a doubles victory and each won their singles matches, lifting the hosts to a 6-1 win.
Top two singles players (by spring record): Tracy Johnson (14-7, 8-1 at No. 2) and Beth Taylor (12-7, 6-4 at No. 3)
Top doubles unit (by spring record): Nicole Croxton and Tracy Johnson (12-8, 10-7 at No. 1)
No. 8 Longwood
Liberty swept Longwood, 7-0, in its conference opener, Feb. 1 at the Crosswhite Athletic Club in Lynchburg. The Lady Flames did not drop a set in the match.
Top two singles players (by spring record): Mason Thomas (10-9, 6-1 at No. 5) and Anna Pelak (8-9, 3-2 at No. 3)
Top doubles unit (by spring record): Anna Pelak and Mason Thomas (13-5 at No. 3)
No. 9 Radford
The Lady Flames earned a 6-1 victory against the Highlanders on Feb. 15 in the Hill City. Liberty won the doubles point in dramatic fashion on that day and captured five of six singles matches for its second Big South win.
Top two singles players (by spring record): Drousile Dzeubou (12-7 at No. 1) and Natalie Sayer (11-8, 10-4 at No. 2)
Top doubles unit (by spring record): Melli Martin and Natalie Sayer (10-5 at No. 1)
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