ORLANDO – The UCF women's golf spring season kicks off this weekend, and after a strong showing in the fall that included a win at the Evie Odom Invitational, head coach Emily Marron and her squad will look to build upon that success this spring as they aim to return to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years.
"This season has been fantastic so far," said Marron. "We've had a really solid group from one through seven, and that's what it takes to be a team that can make a deep run in the postseason."
During the spring, UCF will compete in five tournaments before the American Athletic Conference Championship, with three of the five tournaments taking place in the state of Florida, while they will also be making trips to Myrtle Beach, S.C. and Augusta, Ga.
But it's the Knights' first tournament of the spring, the UCF Challenge taking place at Eagle Creek Golf Club in Orlando, that has UCF's attention to begin the new year.
"[The UCF Challenge] is always special," continued Marron. "It's the one time of year we get to play at home in front of friends, family and fans, and of course playing on a golf course we know and play on all the time is a huge advantage. It will be fun to see where we stack up at the beginning of the spring."
The Knights tee off in the UCF Challenge Sunday, Feb. 6 before wrapping up the event on Tuesday, Feb. 8.
SOARING IN THE RANKINGS
Marron's squad checked in at number six in the initial Golfweek Top-25 rankings to begin the season, marking the highest ranking in program history.
Individually, UCF's Tunrada Piddon and Camille Banzet were ranked as the 25th and 26th highest golfers in the nation after the Knights came off a solid opening week that saw them finish tied for fifth place overall at the Cougar Classic.
SCHEDULE
The Knights' full 2021-22 schedule features nine regular season tournaments and the American Athletic Conference Championship.
To view the full season schedule, click here.
"We have a very familiar, yet competitive schedule again this year," said Marron. "All of our events will put us up against the very best teams in the country and will help prepare us for postseason play.
"Most of our players have competed on the courses we will see throughout the year, and that course knowledge should be a big advantage for us."
The Knights, who are coming off a season in which they reached the NCAA Tournament for the sixth time under Marron, played four tournaments in the fall, all on the road. They will kick off the spring by hosting their annual UCF Challenge, from Feb. 6-8 at Eagle Creek Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida.
Following the conclusion of the regular season, UCF will play in the American Conference Championship in Pinehurst, North Carolina from April 17-19. If UCF qualifies, NCAA Regionals will be from May 9-11 and the NCAA Championship will take place from May 20-26 in Scottsdale, Arizona.
All tournaments will have live stats available via Golfstat with links found on the UCF women's golf schedule page leading up to the event.
ROSTER
As the team continues season number 10 under two-time American Athletic Conference Coach of the Year Emily Marron, she has seven players on the squad looking to get the Knights to a conference title and beyond.
The Knights are geared up for another special season in 2021-22 as UCF will return key players that helped guide them to the NCAA Tournament in Ana Laura Collado (graduate student), Alyssa Lamoureux (senior), Tunrada Piddon (junior), Camille Banzet (sophomore), and Jess Baker (sophomore).
The Knights also added to their already impressive core with an influx of young talent as freshmen Zoe Allaux and Victoria Levy joined the ranks.
Learn more about the UCF Women's Golf roster here.
FOLLOW THE KNIGHTS
Follow UCF Women's Golf on social media on Facebook (UCFWomensGolf), Twitter (@UCF_WGolf) and Instagram (@UCF.WGolf).
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