ORLANDO—The UCF women’s tennis team is gearing up to open the 2025 season with a tilt against Georgia Southern on Sunday morning at the USTA National Campus. As the squad embarks on its second season within the Big 12 Conference, it will look to open its campaign with a convincing performance against the Eagles.
Sunday’s match with Georgia Southern was originally scheduled for 11 a.m., followed by a meeting with Bethune-Cookman at 4 p.m. Due to projected inclement weather, the first contest with the Eagles has been moved to the USTA indoor facility at 8 a.m., while the Knights and Wildcats have agreed to postpone their match to a later date.
LAST TIME OUT
The Knights had a strong fall season, with several key players stepping up. The team impressed at the ITA Southeast Regionals, with senior Sophia Biolay giving a standout performance. At the UNF Fall Invite, junior Donatella Guarnieri highlighted the weekend with a pair of wins, securing first in the west bracket of flight D.
Following the fall 2024 season, three Knights found themselves within the ITA rankings. Sophia Biolay landed the 85th spot, securing her position as a top 100 player. Doubles pairing Hannah Rylatt and Olivia Lincer had a strong showing at the Southeast regionals winning three consecutive matches. As a result, the two found themselves ranked No. 65 in the nation, their first appearance together.
QUICK HITS
- Head Coach Bryan Koniecko is returning for a ninth season leading the women's tennis team. It was under Koniecko's direction that Biolay was named to the All-Big 12 First Team and alum Noel Saidenova to the All-Big 12 Second Team.
- The Black and Gold are home to the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Year, Olivia Lincer. Lincer subsequently earned a spot on the Big 12 All-Freshman Team.
- The Knights were ranked third in the Big 12 Preseason Poll, voted upon by the league's head coaches. In the first ITA rankings of the new year, UCF checked in at 25th, marking the third time under Koniecko the Knights have begun a season among the top 25.
THE OPPONENT
Georgia Southern is preparing to make its season debut on Jan. 17 against Florida A&M before heading south to face UCF the following day. Last season, the squad went 18-6 overall, with an away match record of 8-3. The team made program history, achieving Georgia Southern's first-ever ITA national ranking.