Kansas Returns Home to Face Texas, Texas Tech
April 10, 2013
LAWRENCE, Kan. – After being swept on the road last weekend, the Kansas women’s tennis team will return home for its final four matches of the season, starting with No. 29 Texas and No. 15 Texas Tech this weekend at Jayhawk Tennis Center.
The Jayhawks will play Texas at 2 p.m. Friday, while competition against Texas Tech is set for noon on Sunday.
Kansas currently sits at 8-8 overall this season, including a 0-5 mark in Big 12 play. All of the Jayhawks’ matches in conference have been against teams currently ranked in the top 50 of the ITA Division I Women’s Team Rankings.
Most recently, No. 35 Baylor defeated KU, 5-2, April 5 in Waco, Texas, while No. 32 TCU blanked the Jayhawks in Fort Worth two days later. Sophomore Maria Belen Ludueña had arguably Kansas’ best individual performance over the weekend, defeating No. 120 Victoria Kisialeva of Baylor before losing in a three-set battle to 75th-ranked TCU senior Olivia Smith.
KU was ranked as high as No. 65 in the ITA Rankings in February after winning five of its first seven matches of 2013.
SCOUTING TEXAS: The Longhorns (11-9, 4-1) are tied for third in the Big 12, with their only conference loss coming to Texas Tech, 4-3, on April 6. Dating back to March 13, UT has won eight of its last 10 dual matches, suffering its only other loss during that time period to No. 10 Miami (Fla.), 6-1.
Texas struggled through a difficult non-conference schedule to start spring play, losing seven of its opening 10 matches to teams currently ranked in the top 20 nationally. Six of its nine total losses on the season have come against top 10 programs.
Senior Aeriel Ellis leads the Longhorns in singles, having earned a No. 38 ranking with her 12-6 individual record at the No. 1 spot. Freshman standout Breaunna Addison has also added appreciated roster depth at the No. 2 position, climbing to No. 60 in the nation after going 15-5 in singles over the first two months of her college career.
The Longhorns advanced to the NCAA Round of 16 last season after their the Big 12 Tournament title run. Kansas has lost all 24 of its matches against Texas in program history.
SCOUTING TEXAS TECH: The 15th-ranked Red Raiders are tied for first in the Big 12 regular season standings after cruising to a 5-0 record in conference play, in addition to their overall 15-4 record for 2013. All four of TTU’s losses came to ranked opponents, including three in the nation’s top 15.
Texas Tech is led by junior Samantha Adams at No. 1 singles, who is 7-12 in dual play and No. 94 in the nation individually. The Red Raiders have been relatively dominant in the lower half of singles play this season, having won 83 percent of their matches at the No. 4, 5 and 6 spots combined.
Perhaps TTU’s biggest strength this season has been its doubles play, as it owns a combined 44-11 record in dual play. Adams and partner Kenna Kilgo (15-3) climbed all the way to No. 13 in this week’s standings.
Kansas has lost eight consecutive matches to Texas Tech, although the Jayhawks’ all-time record against the the Raiders is 9-11.
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