After a week off, the Baylor women’s tennis team is back in action with two dual matches at home. The Lady Bears will face Oregon at 1 p.m. (CT) on Saturday and Washington at 1 p.m. on Sunday. Both matches will be played at Hawkins Indoor Tennis Center.
“We’re playing pretty well,” head coach Joey Scrivano said. “We’ve been seeing a lot of progress every day in practice, and this weekend will be a great opportunity to see where we stand right now.”
At noon prior to both matches, Baylor invites children 11-years-old or younger to enjoy its Cub Tennis Program. It is free to participate and athletic attire and shoes are required.
Most recently playing to a 1-1 record at the ITA Kick-off Weekend tournament, Oregon enters Saturday’s dual match with a 3-2 record. The Ducks defeated Columbia, 4-2, before falling to No. 2 North Carolina, 4-0.
The Lady Bears lead Oregon, 2-0, in the all-time series, notching a 4-2 victory against the then-ranked No. 51 Ducks on Feb. 5, 2016.
Washington is on a six-match win streak with victories over Hawai'i, Kansas State, Alabama and Illinois. In their home-opener, the Huskies pulled a 6-1 win over Portland followed by a 6-1 triumph over Seattle. Washington took the lead in the all-time series, 2-1, with a 4-3 win over Baylor on Feb. 7, 2016.
Baylor got off to a strong start to its dual match season with back-to-back 4-0 victories against McNeese State and UT Rio Grande Valley at home. On opening weekend at the National Collegiate Tennis Classic, two Lady Bears posted upset victories over ranked opponents. Sophomore Karina Traxler toppled No. 32 Carla Tur Mari of Oklahoma State, 6-4, 7-5, while senior Rhiann Newborn bested No. 93 Guilia Gludetti of Wichita State, 6-4, 5-7, 12-10.
“Ultimately, all great athletes and great teams are just striving for consistency,” Scrivano said. “We’re really focusing in on that, trying to be consistent in everything that we do. Tennis is a game that you really have to take care of your side of the court before you can focus on your opponent. Right now, our team is improving on their consistency, making more shots, and playing with a lot more persistence.”
Senior Blair Shankle is ranked No. 7 nationally, becoming the ninth Baylor women’s tennis player to earn a Top 10 singles ranking all-time. She was ranked No. 54 in the fall. Freshman Jessica Hinojosa is ranked No. 117 nationally in singles. Baylor doubles duo of sophomore Liz Profit and senior Blair Shankle are No. 15 nationally in doubles rankings.
After this weekend’s dual matches, the Bears continue the regular season against Rice on Feb. 11, 2017, at 1 p.m.
