DETROIT (1/16/2014) -- The 2014 dual-match season for the University of Detroit Mercy women's tennis team will begin this weekend with a pair of matches. The first will be Friday at home vs. Eastern Michigan at 8:00 p.m. ET at the Franklin Athletic Club in Southfield and the second will come Sunday at Michigan State 5:00 p.m. ET.
 
The Titans are coming off a 12-6 overall dual-match record and 5-2 mark in league play falling in the Horizon League Semifinals in 2013. The two losses that came in the Horizon League were in the first two HL matches at Youngstown State and at Cleveland State before UDM rattled off five straight wins in the league. Included in the streak was a monumental 4-3 win in Chicago that broke the 146-match win streak for UIC, the 17-time defending Horizon League Women's Tennis champion.
 
This year, UIC was voted to win the league again with six first place votes and 62 overall votes but Detroit was picked second with 53 points and two first place votes. Youngstown State took the other first place vote.
 
"I still believe we are the favorites in our conference but UIC has the tradition of being the top team and I think it is tough to break the tradition for the coaches. I think it's possible this year to change that but we're going to have to prove that," said UDM women's tennis head coach Pjotrs Necajevs.
 
Detroit returns a host of veteran players including 2013 All-Horizon Second Teamer sophomore Nino Sujashvili who had 19 overall singles wins a year ago tying with senior Elena Strakhova who also had 19 wins. Sujashvili, Strakhova, and senior Julia Fernandes all had four Horizon League singles victories while sophomore team leaders Valery Kulikovskaya and Irina Slizovskaya each had matching 6-1 singles records.
 
"Having eight players means we are very deep this year and someone is going to have to be out of the lineup which is very difficult," said Necajevs. "We will try different things because all the players are very close in terms of their level. Whoever is healthy and takes care of themselves and whoever we believe is more confident and will close the matches will get to play."
 
In doubles, Kulikovskaya and Strakhova were the No. 1 pairing earning a 5-2 mark in Horizon League tandems. Senior Raina Halabi also returns and played at No. 3 doubles last season earning five wins in the No. 3 spot.
 
"We had a great recruiting class and brought in two good freshmen. I wasn't expecting to be able to bring the two girls in but it was a great surprise. We will test them this weekend and use their international experience," said Necajevs.
 
The Titans added international freshmen Viktoria Laskutova and Anna Davydova, who are both from Moscow, Russia with a wealth of international experience between them.
 
Leading the team on the sidelines will be Necajevs who returns for his second full season in 2013-14. Necajevs was a former two-year letter winner on the UDM men's team. He ended his Titan career in 2009-10 as just the third tennis player in Horizon League history to win back-to-back Player of the Year awards after going 30-4 on the year and a perfect 7-0 in the conference. He dominated conference play with six of his seven wins coming in straight-set sweeps. In his Motor City career, he was 55-8 in singles, all from the top position, with a 14-0 record in conference meets.
 
Necajevs will have Diana Ospina-Taylor returning for her third year and 2006 Horizon League Women's Tennis Player of the Year Annie Moore will also be an assistant. Further helping the team will be UDM men's tennis alum Cesar Escobar Serrano who was a senior on the men's side in 2012-13. He finished as the school's all-time leader in singles wins with 59.
 
"It is a huge help to have the staff we have. Annie was added this year and she is doing a great job and brings a winning attitude," said Necajeves. "She knows what's its like to lead the team on the court and she is good at helping with administrative duties. We're excited to have her help and with Diana and Cesar we can help our team improve every day."
 
The next match for Detroit following this weekend will be Jan. 24 against Chicago State at the Franklin Athletic Club. The match is scheduled to start at 9:00 p.m. ET.
 
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