The Tayo Bailey era of Butler women’s tennis got off to a winning start last weekend.

Bailey, a former standout at Butler, took over the program from Jason Suscha, who coached the Bulldogs for the past 13 years.

Butler started its spring season by defeating Atlantic 10 Conference rival Dayton 5-2 last Friday.

Junior Stephanie McLoughlin led the Bulldogs by winning her No. 1 singles match and No. 1 doubles match with senior partner Brittany Farmer.

Farmer, junior Caroline Hedrick and junior Laura Shull all won their singles matches as well.

Shull and sophomore Sienna Reuter won on the doubles side, capping the Bulldogs’ victory over the Flyers.

Bailey has emphasized an off-court training approach since taking over. Bailey has the Bulldogs in the weight room two to three times a week and working on conditioning five days a week.

The Bulldogs may be in better physical shape than last year, but Bailey values the mental side of the game just as highly. Bailey said her players must remain composed while also getting into opponents’ heads to be successful.

For the upcoming season, Bailey said she wants the Bulldogs to have a winning record and secure a top-five finish in the A-10.

Butler advanced to the semifinals of the Horizon League tournament and finished with a 9-15 record last year.

The Bulldogs play again Saturday at home against Western Michigan.