MONROE, La. – After six months away from intercollegiate competition, the ULM tennis team returns to action Friday and Saturday at the UCA Fall Invitational at the Conway Tennis Center in Conway, Arkansas.
Second-year ULM head tennis coach Jessica Giuggioli returns four players from the 2020 spring season and brings in four newcomers this fall.
"I think we're just very excited to compete," Giuggioli said. "You can practice all you want, but at the end of the day, there is no substitution for competition. We're very happy to be getting out there and really being able to see what it is we need to work on in practice and start trying out some doubles pairings."
Madalina Grigoriu is the only junior on the 2020-21 roster. The native of Targu Jiu, Romania, was 2-1 at No. 2 singles and 1-1 at No. 3 singles while also posting a 3-1 mark at No. 2 doubles with sophomore partner Giovanna Pereira in the spring.
Sophomore Jimena Paula Garbino is the only junior on the roster for 2020-21. The native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, was 3-2 at No. 1 singles and teamed with Emma Billon to go 3-2 at No. 1 doubles in the spring.
Freshmen Jelena Lopicic and Pereira also return. Lopicic was 0-2 at No. 4 singles and 2-1 at No. 5 singles while teaming with Pereira to drop her only No. 3 doubles match of the shortened season. Pereira was 2-1 at No. 4 singles and 0-2 at No. 5 singles in the spring.
Giuggioli brought in four newcomers to bolster the roster, including three transfers.
Graduate transfer Drousile Dzeubou reunites with Giuggioli for the 2020-21 season. Dzeubou previously played for Giuggioli at Radford. Dzeubou was a three-time First-Team All-Big South selection at Radford where she accounted for 124 total victories, including 64 in singles play and 60 in doubles. She became the first tennis player in program history to earn first-team all-conference honors three times. A native of Turin, Italy, Dzeubou posted a winning record in singles throughout her four-year collegiate career while playing primarily at the No. 1 and 2 positions.
Freshman Hala Badwy joins the program after posting a 15-8 singles record at North Texas last season. A native of New Cairo, Egypt, Badwy posted an 8-4 singles mark in dual matches while playing the No. 2, 3 and 4 positions. Her eight dual-match singles wins ranked second on the team. She also went 7-5 while playing No. 1 doubles, including a 6-1 record against region opponents.
Freshman Oleksandra Balaba was the 2020 Mountain West Conference Freshman of the Year at Wyoming last season. She compiled an 11-10 record in singles play, including a 5-5 mark in duals, while playing exclusively at the No. 2 position. She won the "B" Draw title (4-0) in the Wyoming Invite last fall. Balaba also was selected to the All-Mountain West Doubles Team with partner Maria Oreshkina.
Daniela Hernandez is the only true freshman on the 2020-21 roster. A native of Caracas, Venezuela, she won the 2019 L1A Sectional and L1 Sectional Glen Head Racquet & Fitness (GHRF) championships for 18-year-old girls. She also advanced to the quarterfinals of the 2019 Empire Cup National Doubles (National L4), played at Cornell University. She received a full scholarship to attend the John McEnroe Tennis Academy in New York City. She most recently moved to the West Side Tennis Club in Queens, N.Y., to train with Luke Jensen.
