Firebirds Women's Tennis Kicks Off ECC Title Defense Friday at Roberts Wesleyan

ROCHESTER, NY - The University of the District of Columbia women's tennis team begins its East Coast Conference title defense on Friday at 10 a.m. as it visits the conference's newest member, Roberts Wesleyan.

The Firebirds are coming off the best season in the program's short history under two-year reigning ECC Coach of the Year, Dickie Mahaffey. District of Columbia was 17-4 overall (5-1 ECC), won the ECC Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 in the 2011-12 campaign.

Mahaffey welcomes back five of the six players from last year's roster, including junior Electrical Engineering major Jessica Nunez (Guayaquil, Ecuador - American School of Guayaquil), the ECC Preseason Player of the Year, and senior Economics major Kristyna Nepivodova (Breznice, Czech Republic - Gymnasium pod Svatou Horou) who was a First Team All-ECC selection last year. The Firebirds were picked to finish second in the conference in the pre-season coaches' poll.

Meanwhile, Roberts Wesleyan has already played four matches this season. The Redhawks are 1-3 thus far, dropping its first three matches of the season at the Lake Superior St. Tournament before sweeping The College at Brockport, 9-0 on Wednesday. RWC was 9-11 overall last year in its final year as a member of the NAIA. The Redhawks were picked to finish sixth in the pre-season coaches' poll.