External factors will play a larger role than expected as the ASU women’s tennis team opens up the season’s first duals.

Rain and injuries will limit the No. 30 Sun Devils against UC Santa Barbara on Friday and UC Davis on Saturday.

The injuries leave the team with the minimum number of players to be able to compete.

The list of injured includes junior Micaela Hein, sophomore Michelle Brycki, freshman Nicole Smith and sophomore Deirdre Cienki.

“They got injured on the court in front of us so there is nothing you can do about it,” senior Nadia Abdala said. “It just happens, it’s part of the sport. Now they are working hard to get better.”

The addition of freshman Hannah James over winter break couldn’t have come at a better time, but ASU coach Sheila McInerney said that she has confidence in the six healthy players.

“We had 10 really good days of practice before we left for Vegas,” McInerney said. “Quite frankly the kids that are healthy have got a lot of practice and match experience under the belts.”

UC Santa Barbara finished last season with a 15-5 record and UC Davis ended up with a 9-12 record.

UC Davis and ASU faced off early last year in a dual that ended with a 7-0 Sun Devil victory.

McInerney said it is hard to judge a team this early in the season and that her athletes will have to be ready no matter the circumstances.

“Hopefully we’ll get the matches in this weekend, you just don’t know with the weather,” McInerney said. “The most important thing for our team is that they are prepared to play.”

Even with the string of injuries and the ominous weather, the six healthy athletes are prepared to begin their dual season.

For ASU senior Amanda Martin, this will be the first dual competition of her career.

“It’s going to be exciting for her,” McInerney said. “She’s played a ton of tournament matches for us over the four years so this is her first dual match that counts.”

The duals provide a different environment than the tournaments of the fall season, something the team looks forward to.

“It’s completely different,” Abdala said. “At tournaments, you play for yourself. You still represent ASU but you could still play your teammate, and I really don’t like playing them. It’s a completely different circumstance, and it’s so much fun.”

Several Sun Devils have fallen in the International Tennis Association rankings since last fall.

Junior Kelcy McKenna, previously ranked seventh, is now ranked 58th. Abdala, having been injured most of the fall, fell out of the rankings after being ranked 31st and the doubles tandem of McKenna and Hein has also fallen out of the rankings.

“It’s to be expected, I think,” McInerney said. “It happens a lot in the fall. From that standpoint it’s not that big a deal.”

New to the rankings is the duo of Hein and junior Ashlee Brown. The pair is currently ranked 38th in doubles.

“Kelcy certainly didn’t have the fall that she had last year but that’s tennis, that’s any sport,” McInerney said. “You just have to keep working.”

Reach the reporter at nathan.meacham@asu.edu