Elon Athletics Weekly Update

ELON, N.C. – Every Monday, Phoenix fans can get a look at the week ahead with our “Elon Athletics Weekly Update” feature when we will preview all the week’s upcoming events for our sports teams. “Follow us” on Twitter at @elonphoenix and @elonscores, “Like” Elon Phoenix on Facebook and continue to check elonphoenix.com to stay current on all things Elon Athletics.

Baseball
First Pitch Dinner, Thursday, Feb. 12, at 6:30 p.m., The Cutting Board, Burlington, N.C.
Elon vs. Penn State, Friday – Sunday, Feb. 13 – 15, at 4/2/12 p.m., Latham Park

• The Elon baseball team will hold its annual First Pitch Dinner at The Cutting Board (2699 Ramada Road / Burlington) on Thursday evening. You can register here:
• For $15 per person ($10 for children 12 and under), fans can enjoy dinner with the team, hear from the coaching staff and players and have the opportunity to win door prizes. Everyone in attendance will receive free tickets to all three games of Elon’s series against Penn State (Feb. 13-15) as well as a photograph of Latham Park autographed by Phoenix skipper Mike Kennedy.
• The Phoenix will open up the 2015 season with six consecutive home games, beginning with this weekend’s series with Penn State.
• Elon welcomes back 25 letter-winners from its 2014 squad, including Casey Jones who has claimed preseason All-America honors and was named the Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Player of the Year.

Men’s Basketball (11-14, 3-9 CAA)
Elon at William & Mary, Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 7 p.m., Williamsburg, Va.
Elon vs. James Madison, Saturday, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m., Alumni Gym

• Following a Wednesday road contest at William & Mary, the Phoenix returns to Alumni Gym on Saturday at 7 p.m. against James Madison.
• Tanner Samson drained four threes at Hofstra on Feb. 7, bringing his career total to 220. Samson sits in fourth all-time in Elon history in career threes and trails only Sebastian Koch (242), Chris Kiger (259) and Jack Isenbarger (264).
• Going into Wednesday’s game against William & Mary, Elon has a 24-20 record in February under head coach Matt Matheny. Last season, the Phoenix went 7-1 in February.

Men’s Tennis (0-6)
Elon vs. Campbell, Wednesday, Feb. 11, at 2 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center
Elon vs. North Carolina A&T, Saturday, Feb. 14, at 10 a.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center
Elon vs. Presbyterian, Saturday, Feb. 14, 1:30 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

• The Phoenix hosts its first home matches of the season Feb. 11 and 14 after opening the season with six road matches. Elon is 16-4 over the past two seasons at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center.
• No. 66 Elon fell short in a pair of matches in Virginia this past weekend. The team was shutout, 7-0, by Old Dominion in Norfolk, Va., Feb. 7 and lost a tight 4-3 decision to No. 59 VCU in Richmond, Va., Feb. 8.
• Elon’s top doubles duo of Stefan Fortmann and Brian Kowalski went undefeated on the weekend, picking up a 7-6 (7-4) win.

Softball (3-0)
Georgia Softball Classic
Elon vs. Troy, Friday, Feb. 13, at 10 a.m., Athens, Ga.
Elon at No. 12 Georgia, Friday, Feb. 13, 5:30 p.m., Athens, Ga.
Elon vs. SIU-Edwardsville, Saturday, Feb. 14, 10 a.m.
Elon at No. 12 Georgia, Saturday, Feb. 14, 12:30 p.m.

• The Phoenix travels to Athens, Ga., to participate in the Georgia Softball Classic, hosted by the University of Georgia. Elon opens the tournament versus Troy at 10 a.m. followed by a matchup with the 12th-ranked Bulldogs.
• Elon went undefeated in its Opening Weekend at Hunt Softball Park last Saturday and Sunday. The maroon and gold earned a 4-3 victory over USC Upstate, a 2014 NCAA Tournament team, before closing out the remainder of its slate with a pair of wins against Radford.
• Friday’s trip to Georgia will be the first for Elon since 2013 when the Phoenix upset the then eighth-ranked Bulldogs, 5-2. The win was the Phoenix’s first-ever against a top-10 ranked team.

Women’s Basketball (12-8, 5-4 CAA)
Elon vs. UNCW, Thursday, Feb. 12, at 7 p.m., Alumni Gym
Elon vs. Hofstra, Sunday, Feb. 15, at 1 p.m., Alumni Gym (Play 4Kay)

• Elon returns home to Alumni Gym after nearly a three-week absence for two straight home games, beginning with UNCW on Thursday for a 7 p.m. tip
• The Phoenix hosts its annual Play 4Kay game on Sunday against Hofstra, which is an initiative that allows a nation of coaches to raise awareness and funds for cancer research on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The official charity is the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. The cause is especially close to the Phoenix as Yow was the first head coach of the women’s basketball program, as well as the volleyball program, and served in that role for four years.
• Last week, the Phoenix went 2-0 with two road wins. Elon picked up a 84-70 victory at Towson with the help of a season-high 15 threes before a hard-fought 75-71 win at College of Charleston on Sunday.

Women’s Golf
Elon at FGCU Invite, Friday – Sunday, Feb. 13 – 15, at Estero, Fla.

• Elon’s women’s golf squad will begin its five-tournament spring season this weekend at the FGCU Invite hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University.
• The Phoenix played four fall events, winning team titles at two contests.
• Elon enters the spring season ranked 102nd in the nation by Golfweek.

Women’s Lacrosse (1-1)
Elon at Longwood, Saturday, Feb. 14, at 1 p.m., Farmville, Va.

• The Phoenix play its first road game of the season when it travels to Farmville, Va., to take on the Lancers of Longwood on Saturday.
• Elon claimed a 15-4 win over Longwood in Rhodes Stadium last season after four goals from Anna Vitton and three each by Olivia Fernandez and Sloane Kessler.
• The Phoenix suffered a 17-8 setback against No. 8 Duke in its last game on Saturday. Elon saw two goals from each Stephanie Asher, Molly Garrigan and Kessler, while goalie Rachel Ramirez posted 12 saves on the day.

Women’s Tennis (1-4)
Elon at Gardner-Webb, Thursday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m., Boiling Jimmy Powell Tennis Center
Elon vs Washington & Lee, Saturday, Feb. 14, at 2:30 p.m., Jimmy Powell Tennis Center

• The Phoenix dropped a match to Wake Forest, 7-0, on Saturday with some closely contested matches in both doubles and singles play for the women. Olivia Lucas and Kirsten Ward had an unfinished match tied at four-all in doubles when Wake Forest claimed the doubles point. Lucas continued her tough play in singles taking her opponent to a tiebreaker falling 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-4).
• Elon heads to Gardner-Webb on Thursday, Feb. 12, at 2 p.m. in Boiling Springs, N.C. The women look to continue their development into the season and also prepare for their first double-header of the spring season.
• The Phoenix has a double-header on Saturday, Feb. 14, at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center, where the team faces North Carolina A&T at 10 a.m. followed by Washington & Lee at 2:30 p.m. to finish off the day.

Women’s Track and Field
Elon at High Point Team Challenge, Thursday, Feb. 12, Winston-Salem, N.C.

• Elon returns to the JDL Fast Track complex for its final indoor meet of the season at the facility in the High Point Team Challenge on Thursday. Last season, Elon was the team champion at the meet.
• The Phoenix competed at the Buccaneer Invitational last weekend, hosted by East Tennessee State. Junior Sydney Griffin finished as the runner-up in the 60-meter hurdles and earned a spot in the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Indoor Championships.
• Elon now has five athletes who have qualified for the ECACs in Griffin (60-meter hurdles), Kimberly Johansen (1,000-meters, one-mile), Tereza Novotna (one-mile), Elyse Bierut (3,000-meters) and Bre’anna Warren (shot put).