Liberty Comes Back Home for Three Matches in Three Days Over Weekend
2/9/2023 10:29:03 AM | Women's Tennis
Live Scoring: Liberty vs. Norfolk State
Live Scoring: Liberty vs. Maryland
Live Scoring: Liberty vs. North Texas
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The Liberty Lady Flames tennis team is set to host a doubleheader on Friday plus an additional match Sunday morning at the Liberty Indoor Tennis Center. In Friday’s doubleheader, Liberty will play Norfolk State (0-1) at 9 a.m., followed by Maryland (5-1) at 1 p.m. Liberty will not compete on Saturday but comes back to the courts Sunday at 9 a.m. to face North Texas (7-1).
The Lady Flames (5-1) are seeking to continue their four-match winning streak, coming off a 2-0 road trip last weekend with wins over Michigan State and Miami (Ohio). The Lady Flames won both matches by a 4-2 score. Liberty’s win over the MSU Spartans last Friday was its first ever over a Big Ten team. Meanwhile, the Lady Flames’ triumph over the Miami RedHawks on Saturday a neutral site match held at Michigan State.
Liberty is 4-1 all-time against Norfolk State, 0-1 versus Maryland and even at 2-2 with North Texas.
Lady Flames News and Notes
• Liberty junior Esther Lovato, fresh off a 2-0 weekend and a current eight-match winning streak, was named the ASUN Player of the Week on Wednesday afternoon. The Lady Flames lead the conference with two awards in four weeks so far this year. Sophomore Maria Juliana Parra Romero also earned on Jan. 18.
• Liberty is looking for its best start to open a season since the 2021 season when they began the year 6-0.
• The Lady Flames will meet the Norfolk State Spartans for the first time over a decade, having last faced each other in 2012. The Lady Flames came out on top with a 7-0 sweep in that matchup on March 28, 2012 on their home courts.
• The Terrapins boast two ranked doubles teams in No. 18 Mary Brumfield and Selma Cadar and No. 53 Minorka Miranda and Marta Merez Mur.
• Liberty will be facing its second Big Ten opponent in as many weeks. The Lady Flames’ lone meeting against the Terrapins came in 2017, a 5-2 loss.
• The Lady Flames have matched up with North Texas four times in program history. The last matchup came in 2022, with Liberty getting the 4-1 neutral site win in Tampa, Fla.
• Liberty Women’s Tennis Head Coach Jeff Maren came over from North Texas where he was an associate head coach for six seasons from 2007 to 2012.
• Lovato and Parra Romero are both 5-0 in singles this spring. Parra Romero sports a nine-match winning streak dating back to the fall.
• Liberty junior Tiffany Nguyen (4-1) has also been a pivotal part of the Lady Flames to begin the season. Nguyen came up clutch last weekend, nabbing crucial wins in the No. 5 position against opponents from MSU and Miami (Ohio) to set Liberty up with the third points of each match.
