Big Matches In South Texas Saturday & Sunday
3/15/2018 1:44:00 PM | Women's Tennis
MATCH 11 -12
Saturday, March 17 • San Antonio, Texas • 11 a.m. • Clarence Mabry Tennis Center
Sam Houston (7-3, 2-1) at UIW (2-11, 0-2)
Sunday, March 18 • Corpus Christi, Texas • 2 p.m. • Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center
Sam Houston (7-3, 2-1) at A&M-Corpus Christi (6-5, 1-0)
HUNTSVILLE – The Sam Houston women's tennis team travels to South Texas this weekend for two crucial Southland Conference dual matches. The Bearkats take on UIW Word Saturday at 11 a.m. then head to the Texas Gulf Coast to duel with two-time defending league champion Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
An exciting 4-3 victory over Abilene Christian last Sunday kept the Bearkats among the leaders in the young 2018 conference race. Northwestern State, the squad that accounted for Sam Houston's only league loss, has raced out to a 4-0 SLC mark. Central Arkansas (2-0) and A&M-Corpus Christi (1-0) also remain unbeaten. McNeese (3-1) and Sam Houston (2-1) are close behind.
Overall for the dual match season, Sam Houston is off to a 7-3 start. Only twice before in its NCAA Division I history have the Kats won seven of their first ten matches. UIW brings a 2-11 record into Saturday's fray while the Islanders stand 6-5.
Strong performances in singles has been a key for Sam Houston. Sophomore Lusine Chobanyan owns an 8-1 singles mark. Seniors Carrie Casey and Fabienne Gettwart stand 8-2 and 7-3 in singles, respectively, while freshman Sahaja Yamalapalli owns a 7-3 record. Yamalapalli, who fought off five match points for the deciding victory over Abilene Christian, is undefeated in singles in the Kats' three league matches.
The Bearkats own an 11-11 record in doubles in dual match play. Head coach Rob Hubbard switched up the pairings last weekend. Gettwart and freshman Roos Gerritsen now play at number one. Casey and senior Khee Yen Wee pair at number two. Senior Mila Milanovic and Yamalapalli are the Kats' number three combo.
“Winning the doubles point sure would make things a lot easier for us in these big matches,” Hubbard said. “We've been putting ourselves in a position to win, but letting them get away. Fundamentally we've got to pick the right shots on the big points. Even in singles, making sure that, when we're playing what we perceive to be a big point, that we stick with what got us there. We have to know what are our best shots and our best combinations and not vary from that. We have to stick with a winning game.”
Sam Houston is 5-0 in matches in which the Bearkats took the doubles point. The Kats came back to defeat both Texas-Rio Grande Valley and Abilene Christian after dropping the doubles point. Overall in singles in dual match play this year, the SHSU women stand 38-21 (a .644 winning percentage).
“We have to keep working hard,” Hubbard said. “One of the things that really helped us last match was getting a whole week of practice in without missed days due to weather. We've had another good week and that's great because need to be ready this weekend. We face two tough teams. Incarnate Word is much improved and A&M-Corpus Christi really presents us with a challenge.”
SERIES RECORDS
Sam Houston has won all five of its matches versus UIW. The Cardinals joined the Southland Conference in 2013 as UIW moved up to the NCAA Division I level.
A&M-Corpus Christi holds a 9-7 lead in the series between the Bearkats and the Islanders. A&M-Corpus Christi has won the last seven years. Sam Houston last defeated the Islanders 4-3 in Huntsville in 2010.
