Due West, S.C. – With four returning players, including three all-conference honorees, from last year’s record-setting squad, the Erskine Flying Fleet are again poised to make another run at the conference title and have been voted the preseason favorite in the recent conference coaches’ poll.

Last year the Fleet (23-4, 11-0) posted their second 20-win season under Head Coach Calhoun Parr and went undefeated in conference play.  Erskine also recorded their first victory over a Top 10 team, topping #9 Clayton State, and earned their highest seeding to date in the NCAA regional tournament (#4).

Erskine returns three of their top four players, including their #1 singles and doubles player in junior Corin Hallman (Mt. Pleasant, SC, Wando High School).  Last season Hallman anchored the Fleet at the top spot going 19-7 in singles and 17-9 in doubles, including a perfect 11-0 in conference play, in route to earning her second 1^st Team All-Conference Award.  Sophomore Mika Goyette (Brossard, Quebec, Ecole Secondaire De Mortagne) concluded her inaugural season on a 16 set win streak, winning the conference freshman of the year award, while posting a team-best 21-3 singles record, 10-0 in conference, and 21-6 in doubles.  She also was voted 2^nd Team All-Conference.  Senior Abby O'Reilly (Acworth, GA, Harrison High School) can be overlooked with her steady play, but the three-time all-conference honoree and former conference freshman player of the year is set to close out her career on a high note.  O’Reilly played some of her best tennis this fall finishing third in the “A” flight of the conference tournament and advancing deep into the ITA Southeast Regional Tournament.  SeniorVictoria Stephens (Cumming, GA, South Forsyth High School) provides experience at the bottom of the order posting a 14-9 singles and 17-7 doubles record last season.

Erskine adds three talented freshmen to the squad this year in Miranda Guthrie (Suwanee, GA, Home-schooled), Sarah McDonald (Cottageville, SC, Colleton Preparatory Academy) and Lauren Schulte (Spicewood, TX, Lake Travis High School).  All three players had exemplary high school careers and played very well this fall.  In the fall conference tournament, Guthrie distinguished herself advancing all the way to the championship match of the “A” flight.  Along the way she defeated teammate Corin Hallman, the tournament’s #1 seed.  Meanwhile, Schulte finished in 3^rd place in the “B” flight while McDonald won her first match but had to withdraw due to injury.  McDonald bounced back the following week at the ITA Southeast Individual Tournament to win her first two sets before being eliminated by Hallman.

Based on the preseason coaches’ poll, Erskine’s stiffest competition will come from Queens University and Mount Olive College.

Outside the conference, Erskine will face six teams nationally ranked in the ITA Top 50 preseason poll, including #10 Francis Marion at home to open the season.  In addition, Erskine will also host #2 BYU-Hawaii during their stateside swing through the Southeast.  Erskine will face two other ranked opponents from the Peach Belt Conference in #44 USC-Aiken and #45 Augusta State.  Erskine will also play the South Atlantic Conference pre-season favorite #30 Wingate University while Erskine’s meeting with archrival Anderson University will also have significant meaning as both teams are ranked in the Top 50 with Erskine at #40 and Anderson at #49. 

Erskine Roster

Erskine Schedule