SCHEDULE UPDATE: Due to rain, the women's match against UTEP has been pushed back to an 2:00 p.m. start. Check @UTAMavsTennis on Twitter for updates.
ARLINGTON – The UT Arlington men's and women's tennis teams return to action this weekend at the UTA Tennis Center with a trio of matches – one for the men and two for the women.
The men will welcome #16 TCU on Saturday, Feb. 2, at 1 p.m., while the women host UTEP earlier on Friday at 2 p.m. before turning around for another morning contest on Saturday at 11 versus McNeese State. All UTA tennis matches are free to the public.
Both teams are coming off Sunday sweeps this past week as the men and women both defeated Prairie View A&M and UT Permain Basin in identical 7-0 fashion. The women (2-0) will look to remain undefeated this weekend, while the men (2-2) will look to extend their winning streak to three and get above .500.
That won't be easy for the Mavericks as TCU moved up six spots in the Oracle ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings this past week after defeating then-#20 Oklahoma State, 4-0, and Loyola Marymount, 4-0. The Mavs have defeated the Horned Frogs just once in program history.
Freshman
Miguel Cabrera is 3-1 since joining the team prior to the spring semester, and carries a three-match singles win streak into action Friday. The Mavericks have been dominant in doubles action all year – including the fall – as they are 14-7 as a team on the campaign. Included in that record are the teams of
Enrique Pardo and
Mauricio Rio (3-0),
Jakub Grzegorczyk and
Eduard Simo (3-0) and Pardo and Simo (3-0) boasting perfect records together.
On the women's side, the Mavs will be seeking their second-straight win over UTEP after picking up their first-ever win in the series last year in El Paso, 4-1. The Roadrunners hold a 4-1 edge in the series; the two teams played three times between 1990-95, but then not again until 2017. UTA has been dominant opposite McNeese State as the Mavs hold a commanding 21-3 lead in the series, with many of the matchups coming when the Mavericks were fellow Southland Conference members.
Almudena Boza continues to lead the women with an impressive 11-3 singles record, but it's
Momoka Horiguchi who carries a team-high four-match winning streak into play this weekend, including a perfect 2-0 mark this past Sunday at the No. 1 singles position. In doubles action,
Lucia Natal and
Nanaka Takeuchi pace the Mavs with a 4-2 record, including an unblemished 2-0 showing at No. 1 doubles.
Following action this weekend, both teams will continue their homestands when the men – who are in the early stages of an eight-match homestand – welcome Wichita State next Saturday, Feb. 9, at 2 p.m., while the women – who are immersed in a nine-match home swing – host Western Kentucky on Friday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m. and Wichita State on Sunday, Feb. 10, at 10 a.m.
