GRANVILLE, Ohio (October 26, 2021) – The Denison University women's fencing team is entering its third year of varsity competition in 2021-22 and will begin its new season on Saturday, October 30, at the Cleveland State Duals.

After its season opener, Denison will compete three times in November and once in December to wrap up the Fall season, and then starting in January, the Big Red will have three more regular-season competitions before beginning the postseason in late February.

Denison's Head Coach Peter Grandbois spoke about his team's upcoming schedule, "We have a couple key points in the season. The first begins October 30th with the Cleveland State Duals and will continue over the following several weekends, as we travel to Drew University in New Jersey, Vassar College in New York, Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and finally back to Ohio State in December. We've consciously built a progression in those meets moving from competing against what will be primarily club teams at CSU to NCAA Division III varsity teams at Drew and Vassar's Invitationals and finally against some tough competition at Northwestern and OSU, including last year's national champions, Notre Dame. I'm most excited about testing ourselves at the Drew and Vassar Invites, as it will give us a real sense of where we stand with other Division III teams."

After being introduced as Denison's 24th varsity sport back in August of 2019, the Big Red will compete this season as a member of both the Central Collegiate Fencing Conference (CCFC) and the Eastern Women's Fencing Conference (EWFC). Denison is the first EWFC member based in the Midwest.

The EWFC Championships will be held on February 20 in Poughkeepsie, New York, followed by the CCFC Championships February 26-27 in Evanston, Illinois.

After that will be the NCAA Regionals on March 12 in Appleton, Wisconsin, and NCAA Nationals March 24-27 in South Bend, Indiana.

In the Big Red's inaugural varsity season in 2019-20, Coach Grandbois led the women's fencing program to an overall record of 20-25 while placing ninth overall at the Midwest Fencing Championships. Denison also landed seven NCAA Regional qualifiers, including a top-14 performance in sabre from current junior Tessy Udoh.

"Last year was obviously a strange year for everyone," said Grandbois. "We were fortunate at Denison that we were not only able to practice, but able to compete, at least a little. Most of our competition last year was against some of the top Division I programs in the nation, as they were the only programs competing, but I was proud of the way our women faced the challenge, and made the other teams stand up and take notice. What I was most proud of last year, though, was the way our team took another big leap forward in terms of culture. I think the hiring of our new assistant coach, Rhys Douglas, had a lot to do with that. Coach Douglas came from the 2012 National Championship winning OSU program, and he brought with him that sort of attitude of competitive excellence. The women saw the raised expectations he had for them as varsity athletes, and they responded accordingly."

Denison's current women's fencing roster consists of 15 student-athletes from six different states and five different countries, with international representation from India, Turkey, Vietnam, Nepal, and Nigeria. The Big Red are made up of three seniors, six juniors, two sophomore and four freshmen.

Athletes to Watch:

Sabre:
Grandbois said, "I'm looking to our entire sabre squad to make their mark this year. They're our most experienced squad, made up of seniors Shivika Churiwalla and Anusha Shukla, as well as junior Tessy Udoh and sophomore Paige Cromwell. They've been working hard, and it's going to be exciting to see what they can do this year, and especially at championships and NCAA Regionals."

Foil:
"Though our MVP from last year, junior foilist Nina de Laperouse, will be studying abroad in the Spring semester, she should be someone to watch in the Fall" said Grandbois. "Of our four freshman, foilist Abigail Yasuzawa comes to us with the most experience. I think once Abby gets a few tournaments under her belt and gains some confidence, she's going to be a force to be reckoned with."

Epee:
"Senior epeeist Diyanshu Emandi is one of the founding members of the women's team," said Grandbois. "We expect big things from Diyanshu this season. She has really grown as a fencer and is ready to take charge and lead us in the big bouts. I expect she's going to bring homes some victories. Diyanshu had made a huge impact over the years and will be leaving a legacy as a leader in the way she embodied our motto: 'work hard and be kind.' We will miss her and her sense of humor."

Coaching Staff Update: Coach Rhy Douglas
"I mentioned before the addition of Rhys Douglas as Assistant Coach in the Spring of last season, but this will be his first full year with us," concluded Grandbois. "Rhys is a former member of both the U.S. Junior World Sabre Team in 2011 and of the 2012 National Championship winning Ohio State fencing team. Rhys understands what it takes to compete at the highest levels in athletics, and he's instilling that attitude and dedication in the women's team. His addition to Denison athletics is a huge plus. He's going to play a big part in moving Denison fencing to the next level."