MONROE, La. – The ULM tennis team will open their fall schedule with the Lady Demon Invitational, hosted by Northwestern State, in Natchitoches, La. The tournament will begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. and conclude on Sunday. It was originally scheduled to begin Friday, but it was pushed back a day due to Hurricane Francine.
Fellow Sun Belt opponent Ragin' Cajuns will also be competing, along with hosts Northwestern State, McNeese and Tyler Junior College.
"This first tournament will serve as a foundation for building our team spirit and unity," said head coach Ivone Alvaro. "With a new team composed of girls from diverse cultures, I can already see their hard work and dedication. This will be instrumental in solidifying our tennis program for the future."
The Warhawks are showing up with a fairly new team this season, returning two of seven from the 2023-24 season. Junior Mariam Hatem returns for her third season at ULM, while sophomore Raquel Alvaro returns for her second.
ULM brings in five newcomers from around the world. Freshmen Vanja Cado, Mariia Iordanova and Tingyi Li enter the lineup, with juniors Camila Molina Barranco and Lucia Jorrin Fernandez rounding out the 2024-25 team.
After the Lady Demon Invitational, the Warhawks will travel to Auburn, Ala. for the ITA Southern Regional Championships on Oct. 10-15. Then, ULM will face two conference opponents, first Texas State at the Bobcat Invitational on Oct. 26-27 and the Ragin' Cajuns at the Ragin' Cajun Invitational on Nov. 1-2.
