SAN MARCOS, Texas – The Texas State women's tennis team returns to action this Saturday and Sunday at the Bobcat Tennis Complex following a 19-day break. Texas State hosts I-35 rival UTSA beginning at noon on Mar. 9 and hosts Missouri State at 11 a.m. on Mar. 10.
Texas State will be playing its first match since shutting out Stephen F. Austin 7-0 on Feb. 17 at the Bobcat Tennis Complex. The Bobcats enter Saturday's match with a 3-4 overall record after posting their first home victory over the Lady Jacks.
UTSA enters the contest with a 6-8 mark following two straight losses at New Mexico State on Feb 24 and at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 27.
Missouri State has a 6-5 record entering Wednesday's match against Louisiana Tech in Springfield. The Bears have won two of their last three matches with a 7-0 victory over Alabama A&M and a 6-1 triumph over Tennessee State. Their 7-0 sweep over Alabama A&M was the second shutout victory for the Bears this season.
ABOUT THE BOBCATS
Senior
Ana Perez leads Texas State with six singles victories and her .857 winning percentage is the best among No. 1 singles players in the Sun Belt Conference. Perez was named the Sun Belt Conference Player of the Week on Feb. 20 after winning her last two singles matches and a doubles decision with
Julia Navajo-Melendez.
Navajo-Melendez,
Rishona Israel-Lewis and
Joy Chia Ming Ming all have 5-2 records in singles matches this season.
Israel-Lewis and
Josefina Cassara have posted a 4-1 record as Texas State's No. 2 doubles team. Their four victories rank third among the Sun Belt Conference in No. 2-seeded doubles.
SCOUTING UTSA
UTSA enters Saturday's match looking to rebound from a 6-1 loss at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Feb. 27 and a 4-3 setback at New Mexico State Feb. 24. UTSA's last win was a 5-2 decision against Utah State in El Paso.
The Roadrunners are led by Laura Cabrera and Kylee Kato's 7-5 records in singles. Cabrera has a 4-1 mark in No. 2 singles matches, while Kato is 6-3 in No. 4 singles matches. Freshman Jasmin Starr has five wins in top-seeded matches.
In doubles play, Kato and Starr have combined for a 7-4 record as UTSA's top doubles tandem. Sophie Omoworare and Charleen Tiwari have combined for a 7-3 overall doubles record, including a 5-2 mark in No. 3 matches.
SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE
Clara Gand-Gonzalez leads Missouri State with 11 wins this season, including five victories in dual matches. Gand-Gonzalez is 4-1 in No. 5 matches this season. Anna Alons, Elle Burger and Fati Khamissi have four victories in singles matches this spring.
Alye Darter and Mara Presot have combined for 10 wins overall and six victories in dual matches this spring. They have a 3-2 record in No. 2 matches and a 3-1 mark in No. 3 contests.
Alons and Burger also are 6-5 in No. 1 dual matches this spring. They also posted a 2-0 record in tournament play last fall.
WHAT'S NEXT
Following the UTSA and Missouri State contests, Texas State begins Sun Belt Conference play with a pair of road matches at Troy and South Alabama on Mar. 16-17.
