The Dillard Women’s Tennis Team Opened the 2022 Season With An Exhibition Match Against No. 7 LSU Alexandria on Saturday

New Orleans – The Dillard University women's tennis team played their first match in 17 years with an exhibition contest against No. 7 LSU Alexandria, 7-0, on Saturday, Jan. 29, at Xavier University of Louisiana's Tennis Center. "I am very proud of how the girls competed considering it's their first taste of college tennis against a very solid team who should go deep in the NAIA tournament this year," explained head coach Meenakshi Sundaram. "We had a little over three weeks to come in, get settled and hit the ground running and that's incredibly difficult to do. To see how these young women handled themselves with very little time to prepare tells me they are here to win and that makes my job very easy as a coach. I expected them to give me in three weeks what most teams will give you after three months of preparation in the fall and they almost it off with wins on the court today. They came, they saw, they learned and now it's time to get better. Above all else I am so proud of them." The Bleu Devils fell in doubles play 6-2 with the team of Prerana Koirala and Kaayva Palani falling at the hands of LSU Alexandria's Olivia Scattinni – Annemart Kleijin. The team's number one singles player, Koirala, lost 6-1, 6-3 to LSUA's Maria Alvarez. In the third singles, Hafsa Sanhaji lost the first set 7-5, won the second 6-4 and fell in the third 10-4 to LSUA's Belen Blasco. In the second singles, Kaaya Palani won the first 6-3 and then dropped the second and third sets 6-4 and 10-6 to Sofia Beggiato. The Dillard women's tennis program was discontinued due to the recovery efforts necessary after Hurricane Katrina and is restarting this spring. The women's program was picked to finish seventh in the Southern States Athletic Conference's (SSAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll. Next, the DU women are joined by the men's program and travels back across town to take on No. 3 nationally ranked Xavier University of Louisiana (XULA) on Friday, Feb. 4, at 3 p.m. at XULA's Tennis Center. Results LSU-Alexandria 7, Dillard 0 XULA Tennis Center, New Orleans, La. Doubles No. 1 – Olivia Scattinni – Annemart Kleijin (LSUA) d. Preana Koirala-Kaaya Palani (DU) 6-2 Singles No. 1 — Maria Alvarez (LSUA) d. Prerana Koirala (DU) 6-1, 6-3 No. 2 – Sofia Beggiato (LSUA) d. Kaaya Palani (DU) 3-6, 6-4, 10-6 No. 3 – Belen Blasco (LSUA) d. Hafsa Sanhaji (DU) 7-5, 4-6, 10-4 Order of Finish: Doubles — 1,2,3. Singles — 1,3,2 Records: Dillard 0-0, LSU-Alexandria 1-0.