NEW ORLEANS - The University of New Orleans women's tennis team will host Purdue on Wednesday and Samford on Friday at the University Tennis Center in a pair of duals that take place at 2 p.m.
UNO (4-7) has played some of their best tennis as of late, defeating Houston 4-0 on Mar. 6 and Prairie View A&M on Mar. 13.
Unfortunately, injuries have taken their toll on the team, as the squad retired in three matches in a 6-1 loss to Southern Illinois on Mar. 12. As the Privateer women prepare for two tough foes, head coach Burzis Kanga will have to take stock of what players will be available.
In the loss to SIU, Ceara Howey had a three-match win streak broken while Amber Garza saw her two-match streak snapped as well, as both players were forced to play up a position due to injury.
As far as doubles' plays, Sofija Kralic and Kristina Martic have won two matches in a row to improve to 3-6 on the season. Cassandra Escobar and Kozue Matsumoto have also paired to win two straight and are the best Privateer pairing at 5-3.
Samford is 8-4 entering a week in which they will play both UNO and Tulane. The Bulldogs have depth on their squad with Rebecca Kirven's 10-1 dual record helping the No. 5 and No. 6 spots combine for a 19-4 record during the spring.
Taylor Morgan plays No. 1 and posts an 8-3 record on the year and teams with Lindsey Mallory to form a pairing that is 7-5 at No. 1. Kirven and Andrie Meiring with a 7-3 record on the No. 2 doubles' court have the top mark for a pairing.
Purdue (9-1) is a battle-tested squad, most recently defeating No. 53 Harvard 5-2 before falling to No. 1 Northwestern 5-2. In the team's most recent dual, the squad defeated Ohio State 4-3.
Jennifer Rabot is a perfect 11-0 at the No. 2 singles' court and is supported by three players - Anna Dushkina, Bhavari Tirmurti and Imogen Golder - who boast an 8-3 singles' mark. Rabot and Michelle Sammons combine to form a 10-1 tandem at No. 1 doubles.
Following this week's matches, UNO will remain home for a Monday, Mar. 22 dual against UT-Pan American. The dual starts at 10 a.m. alongside the men's dual against the same foe.
