Friday, March 20
Jacksonville, Fla.
2 p.m.
University of North Florida
vs
Kennesaw State
The sophomore duo earned a No. 64 national ranking in the latest ITA poll
WOMEN'S TENNIS WEEKLY:
League-leading Lady Ospreys play host
3/18/2009 10:29:25 AM | Women's Tennis
UNF plays two A-Sun matches at the UNF Tennis Complex this weekend
League-leading Lady Ospreys play host
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Looking to defend untainted marks both on its home courts and in Atlantic Sun Conference action and attempting to post the longest winning streak in more than a decade, the University of North Florida women's tennis team will welcome a set of league foes to the UNF Tennis Complex this weekend when it tries to retain the top spot in the conference.
Schedule
UNF (10-2, 4-0 A-Sun) vs. Kennesaw State (5-6, 1-0) – Friday, March 20 – 2 p.m.
UNF vs. Mercer (3-9, 0-3) – Saturday, March 21 – 11 a.m.
Inside the Matchups
Kennesaw State had won two in a row and three of its last four, including a 5-2 conference win against Campbell and a victory by the same score at Bethune-Cookman before slipping in a 4-3 decision against Murray State on Tuesday. The Owls' only other loss over the last four weeks came at Florida A&M by a score of 4-3.
Headlining individual action for KSU, Vera Shkundina owns an 9-2 record at the No. 1 singles spot while Agatha Palider holds a 7-1 record while playing No. 5 with each win coming in straight sets. The Lady Ospreys' nationally-ranked No. 64 sophomore doubles pair Lauren Holton and Victoria Krook will be tested at the No. 3 spot where the Owls have a combined 8-3 record this season.
The streak Mercer currently carries has the Bears dropping eight of their last nine which includes two straight in league action. Mercer fell last weekend to East Tennessee State and USC Upstate at home after moving past UNC Asheville 4-3 in their only win since picking up their lone road win of the season at Austin Peay on Feb. 21. Mercer will take on Jacksonville Friday before visiting UNF Saturday.
The sixth singles position is the only position where the Bears hold a winning record, going 7-3 in that slot. Stephanie Cohen boasts Mercer's only above-.500 singles record at 6-2 and has notched four of those wins in the No. 6 hole. Jennifer Lada is 4-4 in individual play, including a 3-4 mark at the top spot (1-0 at No. 2).
Last season, the Lady Ospreys picked up a pair of wins in a weekend road trip to the Atlanta, Ga., area in the form of a 6-1 win at Mercer and a 5-2 victory at Kennesaw State. UNF's opponents this weekend have managed just one road win each this season, and the Lady Ospreys sport a 7-0 home record.
Looking Back
The Lady Ospreys made a swing through Nashville, Tenn., over the weekend and kept rolling in conference competition with a pair of wins in the Music City. The weekend began with a 5-2 win at Belmont before UNF capped the road trip by driving past Lipscomb 7-0.
Before the jaunt to Tennessee, the Lady Ospreys protected their home courts through a five-match homestand, sweeping three and winning three by a score of 5-2. The stretch included UNF's first two A-Sun matches of the season.
UNF has won seven in a row dating back to a Feb. 25 win against Bethune-Cookman at the UNF Tennis Complex. The last Lady Osprey loss was to Samford on Feb. 21 in Birmingham, Ala., one day after a loss to UAB. With two wins this weekend, the Lady Ospreys will surpass the squad's mark of eight-consecutive wins to open the season last season and hold the longest Lady Osprey winning streak since the 1998 team won 11 straight.
Who's Hot
After running their season doubles record to 12-0, Holton and Krook advanced 12 spots in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association poll which was released Tuesday. The No. 64 ranking is the second highest on the UNF squad since joining the NCAA Division I ranks. Senior Ina Durcakova helped her doubles team climb as high as No. 55 two seasons ago.
UNF opened its home slate on fire and shows no signs of cooling down. The Lady Ospreys have blanked four opponents at the UNF Tennis Complex this season and have experienced their closest matches in league play – a pair of 5-2 wins. UNF has compiled a 37-5 singles record and 19-2 doubles record at home.
Combined in the Nos. 2, 4-6 singles positions, the Lady Ospreys are a perfect 28-0 with 23 straight-set wins. Durcakova, junior Raquel Castro, Holton and Krook each tout a 7-0 record at home in singles play while Durcakova and freshman Nikita van Lierop join Holton and Krook with spotless records in home doubles action.
Did you hear?
Head coach Rodrigo Puebla on the team's A-Sun start: “From the first day of preseason, we set the goal of winning the conference title. Each match has its own difficulties, and every conference match is a tough test. But the girls have responded to the adversity well in A-Sun play so far.”
Puebla on home-court advantage: “Winning home matches is always important to a season's success. We enjoy having the fans on our side, and they have done a great job of creating a great environment for us to play in this season.”
Puebla on continuing A-Sun play: “We are still looking for everyone to come with their highest level of tennis at the same time. All the girls are playing with a lot of confidence right now, and I expect the team to continue the success they have shown early in our league schedule.”
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