University of Minnesota Athletics
University of Minnesota
Gopher Invitational
Players Mentioned
Gophers Open Fall Season at Home
9/17/2018 12:12:00 PM | Tennis
The University of Minnesota women's tennis team will be hosting the annual Gopher Invitational this upcoming weekend at the Baseline Tennis Center. Tournament play begins Sept. 20 and runs through Sept. 23.
The Gophers will host seven teams: Drake, South Dakota, North Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa State, Arkansas, and Northern Iowa. As the ITA Hall of Fame Classic was cancelled last week due to Hurricane Florence, the Gopher Invitational will be the first look at the newest Gopher squad. It marks the first appearance for transfers, Tiffany Huber (Louisville) and Juliet Zhang (UNLV), as well as a long list of upperclassmen rounding out the roster. Catrina Thompson, who made her home coaching debut at last year's Gopher Invitational, looks to start the season strong against some tough opponents.
"This first tournament is exciting and there is a lot of different things we will be looking for as a coaching staff to see what needs to be implemented into matches," Thompson said.
TOURNAMENT FORMAT
The tournament will follow the same format as previous years with Thursday, Sept. 20, starting the initial rounds of doubles beginning at 5:00 p.m., at Baseline Tennis Center. The following days will include a variation of doubles and individual matches beginning Friday, Sept 21, at 9:00 a.m.
PARTICIPANTS
The Gophers are housing one of their most veteran-based lineups in history with eight upperclassmen on this season's squad. Highlighted by seniors Annemarie Emme, Camila Gomez, Bita Mancera and Caitlyn Merzbacher, the team looks to mimic last year's Gopher Invitational success. Last year's event resulted in the most singles champions in over a decade, which was capped off by Cammy Frei, Kalyssa Hall, and Bita Mancera, all claiming the title in each of their flights."Any time you have that much experience and having quite a few veteran, returning players it always plays in your favor," Thompson said. "We are looking to see some great leadership and this first tournament will be a great opportunity to see who steps up and takes control. The biggest thing is seeing where all the players are at. We always talk about how it's a process throughout the year and it's a long season so the fall is typically more individual based. It gives us a chance to see where each player is individually and then try out some different combinations."
HOW TO FOLLOW
Courts 1-6 will have live streaming throughout the duration of the tournament and live scoring will be readily available for all matches. Click here to view the Gophers in action.