ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell women's tennis team will attempt to claim its first victory of the spring when it opens its home schedule with a pair of weekend matches at Reis Tennis Center. Cornell will face St. Bonaventure on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m., then welcomes Niagara to Ithaca on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 12:30 p.m.

The Big Red dropped its dual match opener at Syracuse two weekends ago, sweeping past Cornell 7-0. Despite the loss, the visitors were competitive throughout, dropping a pair of three-set matches despite the Orange collecting their 11th consecutive victory in the series. At No. 1 singles, sophomore Sage Loudon dropped a narrow 5-7, 6-2, 10-7 contest in the super tiebreaker. She reached the quarterfinals of the ITA Northeast Regional Championships and earned a berth in the ITA East Sectional Championships in the fall.

Interim Carl H. Meinig '31 Head Coach of Women's Tennis Spencer Furman returns a balanced lineup that gained valuable experience during a competitive fall season, highlighted by strong individual performances at the ITA Northeast Regional Championships and Ivy League Conference Masters events. Freshman Dylan Gelber, who debuted in the No. 3 slot in the order, emerged as one of the Big Red's most consistent performers in the fall and has posted a team-best 9-4 singles record. Loudon and junior Victoria Zhao played in the top two spots on the ladder.

The Bonnies are 0-4 this season, including a 4-0 sweep at Army West Point this past Saturday. Head coach Michael Bates, in his 29th season directing the program, has relied on top players Sara Montano Parada (5-6) and Tamara Bachmann (4-4), who join Sienna Smith (3-7) at the top of the lineup. The Big Red has an 8-0 lead in the all-time series, including a 6-1 victory on Feb. 15, 2025. All eight previous matches have been held in Ithaca.

Niagara is 1-2 on the season following a 6-1 loss at Harvard on Jan. 23. The Purple Eagles are coached by 10th-year head man Erick Garcia, who has led the team to three MAAC championship appearances. Three different players have seen action in the top spot in the ladder. Cornell has swept all six previous matches between the teams, including a 7-0 victory on Jan. 24, 2025.