BROOKLYN, N.Y. – The LIU women's tennis team returns to the cold Northeast after a week in Puerto Rico, readying to take on two tough opponents, as the Blackbirds will play St. John's, Friday, March 22 at 11 a.m., before hosting UMass, Sunday, March 24 at 12 p.m.
 
Last Time Out
The Blackbirds had a strong week of play in Puerto Rico over spring break, going 4-0 to remain undefeated in dual match play. LIU beat the University of Puerto Rico (7-0), Bucknell (5-2), Minnesota State (7-0) and Colgate (6-1) over the past week, to improve to 6-0 overall.
 
Scouting the Red Storm
St. John's comes into the match with a 6-7 record, having started play in January. The Red Storm have lost to both Ivy League teams they've faced (Cornell, 6-1 and Yale, 7-0), but recently notched a 6-1 win over UConn.  Most recently, SJU fell to Stony Brook, 4-3, in a closely contested matchup.
 
Scouting the Minutewomen
UMass is shaping up to be one of the stronger teams in the Northeast this spring, as the Minutewomen are 10-4 overall so far. They've beaten NEC opponent Fairleigh Dickinson, 7-0 in February, but most recently suffered a 7-0 loss at the hands of No.62 Boston College.  UMass has a strong doubles lineup, and the loss to BC is the first time this year that the Minutewomen dropped the doubles point.
 
Up Next
The Blackbirds shift their focus to the NEC, with a mostly-league schedule remaining before the tournament. LIU will host Monmouth in its NEC opener-, Thursday, March 28 at 3:30 p.m., before traveling to take on Sacred Heart, Tuesday, April 2 at 3 p.m.