Women’s Tennis Takes on the Big Apple

Saturday, February 27

New York, N.Y.

11:00 a.m. CT

University of Memphis

#70 Kansas State University

Photo by: Joe Murphy

Feb 25, 2016 | Women's Tennis

Lady Tigers to face pair of ranked opponents this weekend.

By: Tammy DeGroff

MEMPHIS – The University of Memphis women's tennis team is in New York City preparing for a pair of non-conference matches against some ranked foes this week, starting with a Saturday match against No. 70 ranked Kansas State at 12 p.m. (ET). The Lady Tigers will then face #50 ranked Columbia, Sunday, also at 12 p.m. (ET).

Memphis has been without all-conference junior Anki Wind for the last two road trips, and has had to slide everyone up in the lineup and swap players in one and two doubles. The adjustment coming in a stretch when Memphis was facing four straight ranked opponents was a tough one, but could help the team in the long run, as Coach Hayden Perez has been stressing that each player will be better when Wind is healthy and back in the lineup.

In the team's last outing, at Nebraska, Memphis won the doubles point and won the first sets in all six singles matches, but was edged by the home team, 4-3. Junior Marta Morga won both of her singles matches last week, including 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 win at number three at Nebraska that got her back to 3-3 in dual season singles and to 6-6 for the season in singles play.

The doubles tandem of Janina Berres and Hanna Sohn has also found some momentum they are looking to continue this weekend. Sohn was playing at one doubles with Wind, so the injury meant a new doubles partner for Sohn – the team's lone freshman – Berres. The duo lost their first two outings together at number one, but picked up wins against both Miami (Ohio) and Nebraska last weekend to move to .500 in four matches together.

Kansas State is 5-2 on the year and just moved in to the national rankings this week after back-to-back shutouts over Air Force and Drake. This is the sixth-ever meeting between Memphis and Kansas State, and the Lady Tigers lead the overall history, 3-2. The last time the two teams met was in 2014, when Memphis won 4-0. There is also a personnel link between the two programs. K-State assistant coach Jordan Smith is a Memphis graduate and lettered for the Tigers men's tennis team from 2007-2011. This is the second straight season Smith has had to face his alma mater. Last year, he was an assistant coach on the men's team at Middle Tennessee.

Memphis will take on host Columbia, Sunday, at noon (ET). Columbia, ranked No. 50 in the country in the lastest ITA poll, is 5-3 on the year and will be coming off a match against Kansas State before they face Memphis.