BILLINGS, Mont. – Opening the 2015 spring season with a home match, the Montana State University Billings women's tennis team is set to host Montana State University on Saturday evening at the Elks Tennis Center in Billings.
 
The match is set for 5:30 p.m., starting with one set of doubles followed by best 2 of 3 sets of singles. "I am really looking forward to getting the spring season up and running," said first-year MSUB head coach Becky King. "The teams are diving in full-force and working very hard. (MSU) Bozeman is always a tough match for us but we competed against them very well last fall."
 
The women are captained this season by senior Emily Paffhausen, who has been a three-year letterwinner with the Yellowjackets. She and junior Mary Conwell will team up to form MSUB's top doubles team. "Mary is back after a shoulder injury in the fall, and she will be back playing with her doubles partner Emily for the first time all year," King said. "I am counting on these two to lead our younger women, especially in doubles play."
 
Also returning for the 'Jackets this spring are Morgan Opp, and Hannah Shephard, who each gained valuable experience in roles as singles players a season ago. "Morgan, Hannah and (freshman) Jade Goodyear-Anderson will lead our women in singles," King commented. "They have tough positions to play but I know they will rise to the challenge."
 
Saturday's match against the Bobcats is an early start to the spring season, which gets fully underway on Feb. 20 against Utah State University in Bozeman, Mont. The lady 'Jackets will play a pair of matches that weekend, before traveling to Orlando, Fla., for six matches between Feb. 28 – March 3.
 
"We have several tough matches this spring before we get into our conference schedule," King said. "It will be good to see where we match up against the stronger teams, starting with MSU on Saturday."
 
The Yellowjackets begin Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play in early April, following the trip to Florida and a final tune-up against Colorado College on April 2.
 
The Yellowjacket men get their spring season started in three weeks, traveling to Bozeman to face Montana State on Feb. 21.