HONOLULU- The University of Hawai'i women's tennis team will begin its 2009-10 season with the Rainbow Wahine Invitational Oct. 8-10 at the UH Tennis Complex. Matches begin at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday and Friday and 10:00 a.m. on Saturday.

 

The tournament includes Texas State, Hawai'i Pacific University and host UH. The three-day tournament will feature both singles and doubles action with a different draw on each day.

 

The Rainbow Wahine return five members from last season—sophomores Aglae Van den Bergh, Alyssa Nafarrete, and Dasha Lagmay, junior Natasha Zorec, and senior Sophie Kobuch. Kobuch, who is a two-time all-Western Athletic Conference selection and went 18-12 overall and 16-8 in dual matches last year will be sidelined for  this weekends event, along with Zorec.

 

UH also features five new players this season, freshmen Maraike Biglmaier, Mari Tadaki, Katarina Poljakova and Alison Gobel. The lone sophomore is Barbara Pinterova a transfer from the University of Florida.

 

Head coach Jun Hernandez returns for his fifth season and has put together another tough schedule for the Rainbow Wahine this season which include nationally ranked teams California, Stanford, Boise State and Fresno State. Last year the Rainbow Wahine finished the season with 13 wins, its highest total in eight years, and advanced to the semifinals for the first time in program history.