As the temperatures begin to cool in Bowling Green, BGSU Tennis looks to start their season hot as they prepare to kick off the 2023-24 campaign on Friday, Sept. 15. 

Last year, the orange and brown improved their win total by two matches (6-16), compared to the previous season (4-13), and look to take another step forward. The team has plenty of returning faces, as well as some new ones.  

The Falcons will be led by 2023 All-MAC second team member Eloise Saraty. The London, England native is coming off a campaign where she earned 28 wins (14 singles and 14 doubles) and was the MAC Singles Player of the Week on March 7.  

The rest of the returning members include sophomore Leticia Fonseca, as well as seniors Lucy Furness, Hannah Neuman and Ioanna Tsadari.  

This season, three freshmen will be making their BGSU debut. The new additions are Isabella Baker from Nova Scotia in Canada, Brynn Chaffee from Sylvania, and Tia Clemens from Cleveland. 

Baker brings plenty of experience from her time in Atlantic Canada. She was the top-ranked junior and holds seven Junior Atlantic Championship Titles.  

Chaffee boasts an impressive resume as well. She is a four-time All-NLL (Northern Lakes League) First Team member, three-time All-District First Team member and was top 8 in Ohio for doubles in her time at Sylvania Northview High School.  

Clemens comes into Bowling Green at the top of her game. At St. Joseph Academy, she earned two varsity tennis MVPs and was a 2020-21 State Singles qualifier.  

All these players aim to bring their best game possible during year two of head coach Mike Bonnell’s tenure, who has made some additions to the coaching staff as well.  

On Aug. 16, Bonnell hired William Lynch and Rodney Duncan as assistant coaches. Lynch participated with BGSU as a volunteer coach last season, while Duncan volunteered with the women’s team at Liberty University in 2022-23.  

“Our team has been practicing very hard and I am really happy with what I am seeing so far,” Bonnell said. “Now, we get to up the pressure level and compete against other schools. That pressure is where we learn what we’ve really got, and what we need to do to get to the next level.”

BG kicks off the 2023-24 season Sept. 15-17 at the BGSU Invitational, which is back for the first time since the 2019-20 season. Programs coming to town include DePaul, Miami (OH), Niagara, Northwestern Ohio, Toledo, Tiffin, Youngstown State and Valparaiso. 

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