Tennis Hits the Road for Big 12 Matches
April 09, 2015 01:19 PM | General
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| The Mountaineers travel to Texas for Big 12 matches against Texas Tech on Friday, April 10 and TCU on Saturday, April 12. |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After a weekend off, the West Virginia University women’s tennis team starts its final two-match road swing of the season, as the team heads to Texas to face No. 15 Texas Tech on Friday, April 10, at 3 p.m. ET, and No. 19 TCU on Sunday, April 12, at 2 p.m. ET.
“Our expectations for this weekend are the same as what they have been through so far this season. We have continued to improve throughout the year, and that does not change this week,” said second-year coach Miha Lisac. “It is time for us to start putting some of the things we have been working on into play, but otherwise, the expectations have not changed.”
The Mountaineers (9-8, 0-5) return to the courts for the first time since March 29, when the team dropped a 4-0 decision to No. 32 Texas at Ridgeview Racquet Club, in Morgantown.
Freshman Habiba Shaker has a team-best 12-2 mark in doubles play as she has teamed up with junior Hailey Barrett as well as classmates Lyn Yuen Choo, Yvon Martinez and Carolina Lewis throughout the spring. Shaker holds an 8-3 mark at the No. 4 position and a 3-1 mark at the No. 5 position in singles play. Sophomore Kaja Mrgole has tallied nine wins at the No. 1 slot. Lewis has a perfect 11-0 mark in dual-match play, with victories at the No. 5 and No. 6 slots.
WVU and Texas Tech (15-4, 5-1) have played just two matches against each other, and the Raiders hold a 2-0 series edge. With back-to-back wins over No. 9 Oklahoma State and No. 7 Baylor, Texas Tech jumped from No. 18 to No. 15 this week in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings released. It is only the second time in program history that Texas Tech has reached as high as No. 15.
The Lady Raiders boasts three players ranked in ITA singles. Senior Kenny Kilgo (9-7) leads the way at No. 53, and she is followed closely by No. 74 sophomore Lynn Kiro (20-9) and freshman Sarah Dvorak (21-9) at No. 92.
TTU also has the No. 44-ranked doubles team in freshman Gabriela Talaba and Kilgo, who are 5-3 in dual-match play this season, followed by the No. 90-ranked doubles tandem of freshman Sabrina Federici and Kiro (13-7).
WVU and TCU (13-7, 4-2) have played just two matches against each other, and the Horned Frogs hold a 2-0 series advantage. TCU is coming off a 4-0 win over UT Arlington. Prior to the match against the Mountaineers, TCU squares off against Iowa State at home on April 10.
Senior Simona Parajova is ranked 38th by the ITA and holds a 20-4 overall record and a 12-2 record at the No. 2 slot. Senior Stefanie Tan also is ranked at No. 113 in singles and holds a 7-6 record in dual-match play. The No. 34 doubles tandem of sophomore Seda Arantekin and Tan hold a 10-5 mark at the No. 1 position in dual-match play.
“I don’t expect anything different from Texas Tech and TCU. The Big 12 is a very competitive conference. They are all very tough, and have been competing at the highest level for a long time,” Lisac explained. “We expect them (Texas Tech and TCU) to play as one of the top teams in the conference. For us to be able to match that, we have to continue to get better and learn along the way.”
Links for live stats for both matches are available at WVUsports.com.
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