Women's Tennis Faces George Mason, Opens PL Play at Navy

Saturday, March 26

Fairfax, Va.

2 p.m.

Bucknell University

George Mason

Photo by: Kevin Hashiro

Women's Tennis Faces George Mason, Opens PL Play at Navy

3/22/2022 12:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Bucknell (9-5, 0-0 PL) vs. George Mason (8-3, 0-0 A-10)
When: Saturday, March 26 – 2 p.m.
Where: Mason Tennis Complex – Fairfax, Va.

Bucknell (9-5, 0-0 PL) vs. Navy (16-2, 0-0 PL)
When: Sunday, March 27 – 12:30 p.m.
Where: Hooper Brigade Sports Complex – Annapolis, Md.

Bucknell at a Glance
• The Bison are currently 9-5 (0-0 PL) after going 1-2 during their spring break trip to Hawaii.
• With its triumph over St. Bonaventure on March 5, Bucknell won at least eight of its first 10 matches for the second time in four seasons; in 2019-20, the Bison went 9-1 to begin dual match action.
• Bucknell went 5-5 (2-3 PL) in the spring of 2021, most notably scoring a 4-2 victory over rival Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals.
• The Bison posted a 6-3 (0-0 PL) record during their 2019-20 season that was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They won five of their final six matches that season, with two coming by 7-0 margins.
• Bucknell is captained by senior Daniela Bellini, a two-time All-Patriot League selection.
• The Bison lost three student-athletes to graduation following the 2021 spring season, including two-time All-Patriot League performer Cayla Koch.
• Bucknell welcomed three newcomers ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, including one international student-athlete.
• Head coach Tammy Cecchini is in her third season at the helm of the program.
• Cecchini was previously the head coach at Valparaiso from 2015 to 2018; she spent the 2014-15 season with Valpo as an assistant coach.

Category Leaders
• Overall Singles Wins: Whitney King (16)
• Dual Match Singles Wins: Anna Lajos (10)
• PL Dual Match Singles Wins: N/A
• Overall Doubles Wins: Daniela Bellini/Whitney King (17)
• Dual Match Doubles Wins: Daniela Bellini/Whitney King (9)
• PL Dual Match Doubles Wins: N/A

George Mason at a Glance
• The Patriots are currently 8-3 (0-0 A-10) and are riding a six-match winning streak.
• George Mason most recently went 3-0 at the PTR Springfest in Hilton Head, S.C., with two of its victories coming over Patriot League opponents.
• The Patriots will face Richmond on the road on Friday, March 25 before hosting Bucknell the next day.
• George Mason went 7-4 (2-2 A-10) during its truncated 2021 campaign. The Patriots bowed out in the first round of that season's A-10 Championships.
• George Mason returned Paige La, who a year ago became the program's first All-Atlantic First Team selection since joining the conference in 2012-13. Ashley Fitz-Patrick, who made the 2021 All-Atlantic Second Team, is also back.
• The Patriots and Bison last squared off in 2018, a 6-1 Bucknell victory at the Spring TennisFest in Hilton Head.

Navy at a Glance
• The Mids are currently 16-2 (0-0 PL), which includes a perfect 12-0 mark in Annapolis, Md.
• Navy most recently went 3-1 during its spring break trip to Orlando, Fla., with two of its victories coming by shutout.
• Seven of the Mids 16 victories were whitewashings. An additional five came by a 6-1 decision.
• Navy will host No. 29 Old Dominion (Thursday, March 24) and Lehigh (Saturday, March 26) before hosting Bucknell.
• The Mids went 7-4 (3-2 PL) during their abbreviated 2021 campaign. They advanced to the Patriot League finals, where they were edged by Boston University, 4-3.
• Navy returned all three of its All-Patriot League selections from a year ago: Kacey Moore (First Team), Jillian Taggart (First Team) and Meghana Komarraju (Second Team).
• The Mids lead the all-time series with the Bison, 14-2.
• Bucknell's last win in the series came in 2010; that season, the Bison scored 4-1 and 6-1 victories over Navy.
• This fall, senior captain Daniela Bellini teamed with first year standout Whitney King to defeat Taggart and Emily Tannenbaum in the 'A' Honor doubles finals at the Mids' Bill & Sandra Moore Invitational.

A Look Ahead
• The Bison will host their first dual matches at the Varsity Tennis Courts, facing Lehigh (April 2 at 2 p.m.) and Colgate (April 3 at 10 a.m.).