NEW ORLEANS – The New Orleans Privateers women's tennis team gets rolling with their first match on Thursday against a familiar opponent in crosstown foe, Tulane at City Park. It sets up a road heavy start to a spring 2021 campaign that features six returners and three newcomers with previous Division I experience.
 
Among the triumvirate of newcomers added to the roster is Anastasia Vaganova, who dominated the SWAC. In her time with the Lady Braves, Vaganova won Conference Freshman and Player of the Year honors.
 
Estelle Vanthier played at the top of the rotation for Green Bay where she accrued a 7-5 mark in the shortened 2019-20 season. Lina Hohnhold transfers in from Memphis where she won seven of her first eight collegiate dual matches. Last year, Hohnhold finished with a 10-3 mark in singles.
 
Those three add to a bevy of returners including Claudette Gilhespie, who decided to exercise the option given to senior student-athletes for another year. Gilhespie has 33 singles wins, which places her in the top 10 in program history since 2000.
 
Ank Vullings was on track for a possible award laden season before the pandemic shut down the season. Vullings was 10-0 and earned First Team All-LSWA honors. She was also named Southland Student-Athlete of the Year.
 
Mar Gendra, Salma Abdelrahim, Lea Alguacil, and Tristanne Dechoux also return to the squad. Gendra finished last season at 8-2 overall and 3-1 against Southland opponents. Abdelrahim had six wins against Southland opponents as a freshman. Alguacil was unblemished in doubles last year along with Gilhespie. And Dechoux was making an impact with five wins between flight two and three as a true freshman in 2020.
 
FROM COACH KANGA
"I think we should be in for a good fight with Tulane. I have a lot of confidence in our players and I think we have depth. This is the best women's team we've put together in the last few years. We have three new signees and two of them are starting in the top four."
 
"This is one of our stronger teams. I think we can certainly be a top four team in the Southland. We have nine players on our squad and they're all competing well. Tulane should be a good measuring gauge for us right out the gate."
 
The Privateers will be on the road for the first seven matches before facing Northwestern State on Mar. 5 at the University Tennis Center. In all, the Privateers will navigate a 20-match schedule with nine of those taking place at home. It all leads up to the Southland Tournament, which runs from Apr. 23-25 in Beaumont, Texas.