INDIANAPOLIS – The 2013 IUPUI women’s tennis campaign kicks off on Friday, Jan. 18, when the Jaguars welcome SIU-Edwardsville to the West Indy Racquet Club for a 6:30 p.m. match.

The match is the second match of the day at the West Indy Racquet Club, as the IUPUI men’s team will also host SIU-Edwardsville in its home opener at 11:30 a.m.

“We are really excited to get started. Our theme in practice has been increasing our athleticism and building our level of play as we approach the match,” said interim head coach Pat Nickell. “We have had two really good weeks of preparation and the ladies have been very focused. The key thing for us will be sustaining our movement and competitiveness point-to-point and game-to-game. If we can do that, we will be successful.”

The Jags, who were recently picked to finish fourth in The Summit League Preseason Poll, begin their busy weekend by hosting the Cougars at 6:30 p.m. on Friday, before making the trip to Muncie, Ind., to take on Ball State at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 19.

IUPUI has five returners back from last year, including three seniors in Jesika Bays, Shelby Hullet and Vanessa Whyte.

“We are very pleased to be considered in the mix for post-season expectations, but we know that the tough miles lie ahead,” Nickell said following the release of The Summit League Preseason Poll. “These seniors have not experienced the post-season and are highly motivated to achieve that goal. The younger ladies are motivated to raise their bar and start their own tradition of conference excellence.”

The younger ladies Nickell refers to are returning sophomores Abbey Neff and Rachael Bridegroom, and true freshmen Bobbi Modesto and Jaclyn Hyman. Neff was one of two players to post double-digit singles wins last year, and Modesto will look to make an impact at the top of the lineup after spending most of the fall season playing at the No. 1 position.