GREENVILLE, S.C.-- The 2002 Furman women's tennis team will kick off its season when it hosts Winthrop and UNC Charlotte at Furman's Mickel Tennis Center on Saturday.

Furman will open up the day against Winthrop at 10:00 a.m., followed by a 3:00 p.m. showdown against UNC Charlotte.

The Lady Paladins, led by head coach Debbie Southern, are coming off a 2001 season during which they registered an 18-9 overall record, 9-0 Southern Conference record, a conference regular-season and tournament championship, and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Lady Paladins have also notched 32 straight conference victories, a league record.

The Lady Paladin lineup features senior and three-time conference player of the year Megan Dunigan, senior Gene Holman, juniors Natalie The and Krista Thomson, sophomores Shellie Cochran and McCall Holman, and freshmen Caroline Bentley, Mary Neill Hagood, and Mary Kovarik.