OXFORD, Ohio - The Miami RedHawks will finally get their spring campaign underway this week when the make the trip south to Florida for a pair of matches against Atlantic Sun opponents.

The 'Hawks will kick off the year with a battle against the Florida Gulf Coast Eagles in Fort Myers on Thursday, and then follow that up with a match against Liberty on Friday at FGCU's campus. Both matches are scheduled for 10 a.m.

SEASON PREVIEW
Miami is looking to build on a fantastic 2018-19 campaign that saw the RedHawks claim the regular season and tournament championships in the Mid-American Conference and make an NCAA appearance. The 'Hawks have to the roster to do so, as all but one player from last year return. 

Sophomore Brindtha Ramasamy, reigning MAC Newcomer of the Year and All-MAC First-Team selection will again look to lead the 'Hawks and is joined by Miami's deep junior class of Milana Lysova (All-MAC Second Team last season), Makenzie Myers (All-Tournament Team), Lena Babunski, Melati Devi, Janelle Ghanem, and Priyana Kalita. The RedHawks will also be bolstered by the addition of talented Oklahoma transfer Laura Rico.

The RedHawks played a busy fall schedule with a multitude of tournaments around the country. Ramasamy led the way with a 12-5 fall record against strong competition, while Rico and Myers also posted winning records throughout the tournament season.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES
Florida Gulf Coast enters the match at 0-1 after opening their season with a loss to the Kentucky Wildcats on Wednesday. The Eagles return three players from their 11-10, Atlantic Sun-runners-up roster from last season, including the one-two combo of all-conference seniors Maja Ornberg (2018 ASUN Player of the Year) and Sara Kelly. The Eagles have a bevy of new faces alongside those two, as their starting six against the Wildcats was rounded out by two transfers and two freshmen.

SCOUTING THE FLAMES
Liberty will open their season against the RedHawks looking to repeat their 15-7, ASUN regular season-championship season from last year. However, the Flames will have to reload as just two of their starting singles players from their season-ending loss to FGCU return for this season. Senior Kalani Soli will be the leader for Liberty, as she is coming off a first-team all-conference campaign. 

Both matches will be played at the FGCU Tennis Complex in Fort Myers. Live scoring will not be available, but updates can be found via @MiamiOH_Tennis on Twitter.

LOOKING AHEAD
The RedHawks will continue their season-opening road swing next week with two challenging matches. Miami will take on Purdue on January 20 and will then face Kentucky a day later.