WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Women's tennis starts off the fall season this weekend playing the part of hostess; four members of the team will compete in the school's self-titled invitational beginning Friday. For freshmen Rafaella Baquerizo, Paola Maza and Alex Sabe, the Purdue Invite not only marks the opening of the season, but also the beginning of their college careers.
"I'm excited to compete," Baquerizo said. "It's the first time since the US Open that I'll have played against someone other than my new teammates."
Baquerizo joined the Boilermakers back in August, but traveled to Flushing, New York, in early September for the Junior Tennis Championships Qualifying Draw.
Baquerizo, Sabe and sophomore Marta Ruedas will all compete in both one of eight singles draws and one of two doubles draws. Maza will only compete in doubles with Ruedas as her partner.
Doubles will take place first Friday, one round at 9 a.m. ET and another at 10 a.m.; one round of singles will then start at noon. Saturday will follow the same schedule, but start one hour later to allow for cooler temperatures to rise. The singles championships will then take place Sunday at 10 a.m.
The 14 schools in attendance are Ball State, Bowling Green State, Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan, Illinois, Lipscomb, Louisville, Maryland, Miami (Ohio), Michigan State, Northern Illinois, Purdue, Western Kentucky and Xavier.
