Feb. 22, 2006

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The University of Memphis women's tennis team (2-2 overall) will take to the road for a pair of matches this weekend in Texas, starting with a Friday match at Sam Houston State, at 2 p.m., and followed by Memphis' C-USA opener, Saturday, at Houston.

The Lady Tigers are led by a pair of players sporting 3-1 records. Sophomore Brooke Cowie is 3-1 at No. 2 singles for Memphis, after scoring the Lady Tigers' lone point in a 6-1 loss at UALR, Tuesday. Junior Alex Tjioe is also 3-1 in singles for the Lady Tigers, after having her three-match win streak snapped at UALR, at No. 6 singles.

In doubles, Memphis has gotten all of its wins from the No. 2 and 3 doubles teams. Senior Kristin Noble has teamed with freshman Ekin Zafir for a 2-2 mark at No. 2, while Tjioe and fellow junior Christina Wieser are 2-1 in doubles. The top doubles team of Andrea Feichtinger and Cowie are still looking for their first doubles victory, having already faced one regionally-ranked opponent just four games into the 2006 spring schedule.

Memphis will face Sam Houston State, a team that also carries a 2-2 mark heading into this weekend. Freshman Irina Sotnikova was recently named the Southland Conference Player of the Week and is a perfect 4-0 at No. 1 singles heading into Friday's match. Junior Lata Assudani is also off to a strong start at No. 2 singles, with a 3-1 mark. That duo is also 2-1 at No. 1 doubles. The three, four and five singles spots have had multiple individuals in them, as junior Emma McDougall and junior college transfer Brooke Mills both carry a 1-1 mark at No. 3, while Mills is a perfect 2-0 at No. 4, where freshman Peta Taylor is 0-2. Taylor is also 1-1 at No. 5, a spot she shares with junior college transfer Lauren Janak, who is 0-2.

The Bearcats have already faced Houston, the Lady Tigers' Saturday opponent, falling 5-2. They also faced Memphis' last opponent, UALR, falling 5-2 in Little Rock.

Saturday, Memphis will open its league schedule at the Cougars of Houston. The Memphis match will be Houston's first match in 13 days, as the Cougars last beat Sam Houston State in their last match. Houston is 5-1 heading into Saturday's match, having won three straight matches before knocking off No. 33 Mississippi State, 4-3, before suffering their first loss, 5-2, at No. 34 Texas A&M.

Houston is already 1-0 in league play, having downed Southern Miss, 6-1, Memphis' next opponent, Mar. 3rd.