HONOLULU – The Chaminade University women's tennis team will open their season on Thursday against traditional local and national powerhouse Hawai'i Pacific University on Thursday at the Kailua Racquet Club.
With 10 on the roster, head coach
Ty Aki, who is entering his 10th year as Silverswords head coach, has his largest squad yet.
The 'Swords have five returnees from last season's team who include
Selena Buttery (Brockway, Pa./Brockway),
Kirra Carvalho (Lihue, Kaua'i, Hawai'i/Kaua'i),
Sydney Danielson (Prior Lake, Minn./Prior Lake),
Berylin Lau (Wailuku, Maui, Hawai'i/Kamehameha-Maui) and
Danica Palmer (Philadelphia/Upper Merion Area)
Carvalho and Lau teamed up nine times with a majority of their pairings at the No. 2 spot and, in singles, were Nos. 2 and 3 for most of 2023. Danielson is one of three juniors on the squad and has the most experience on the team with two full years on the surface. Buttery, a dual sport athlete who is also on the women's basketball team, was primarily in singles while Palmer spent a majority of the season in doubles.
The 'Swords have a sixth member who has experience in
Kylie Ye (Laie, O'ahu, Hawai'i/Asia Pacific International School). The junior did not play last year but was a member of the team as a freshman in 2022, where she saw 10 singles and nine doubles matches.
The first-year members of the team are
Carine Bleasdell (Kihei, Maui, Hawai'i/Hawai'i Technology Academy),
Sameera Elmasri (Shawnee, Kan./Birmingham-Southern Univ./Saint Thomas Aquinas HS),
Jordyn Luna (Kahului, Maui, Hawai'i/Maui) and
Anciane Claire Miguel (Honolulu/Farrington).
Like Buttery, the junior Elmasri is a dual-sport athlete who also plays on the 'Swords' women's basketball team.
Following Thursday's meeting against the Sharks, who is ranked No. 14 in the ITA Division II national rankings, Chaminade faces Hawai'i Hilo in a doubleheader on March 2 at the Joint Base Pearl Harbor at the Hickam Air Base, the first of four meetings against the Vulcans.
The Silverswords will also make a mid-season mainland trip to Southern California in late March, with matches against Pacific West Conference members Westmont, Concordia, conference affiliate member Cal State Los Angeles and a meeting against Division I CSUN.
The PacWest Championships will again be held in Surprise, Arizona from April 17-20. The 12 teams will be determined by a panel of PacWest administrators.
