UNT to face ranked players in Atlanta

By Eric Johnson / Senior Staff Writer –

While most students begin their spring break, the UNT tennis team (6-4) will face one of its toughest tests of the season.

Four nationally ranked players, including the No. 1 player in the country, lie in wait for the Mean Green as the team travels to Atlanta to challenge Georgia State and No. 25 Georgia Tech.

“We expect to win against the non-ranked teams, but it is like a different group of players whenever we play someone with a national ranking,” head coach Sujay Lama said. “We are playing average right now, and we have the potential to be one of the elite teams. It is about desire and hunger, and we have to get that back.”

Junior Amy Joubert returns volleys during Wednesday’s practice. The UNT tennis team will take on Georgia State at 12 p.m. on Saturday in Georgia. (Photo by Drew Gaines / Photographer)

The competition for the No. 1 spot in UNT’s lineup has driven sophomore Irina Paraschiv and junior Madura Ranganathan to push their talent to a higher level.

Both players will be challenged during the trip to Georgia, with Paraschiv spending the weekend facing a pair of nationally ranked challengers, and Ranganathan playing one of her own.

A Saturday showdown looms between Paraschiv and the nation’s best player, Yellow Jacket Irina Falconi. The Mean Green’s No. 1 player will stare across the net at Georgia State’s Diana Nakic, the No. 88 ranked player in the country, on Sunday.

Falconi has lost only one match all season and has defeated seven nationally ranked players.

“At this point it is not about talent, it is about who wants it more,” Lama said. “Our talent level is right on par with the top-level teams. We have just got to build our momentum and confidence.”

Ranganathan will likely draw Georgia Tech’s Sasha Krupina, the No. 38 player in the country.

“This is the kind of competition that we want, because it makes us perform at the top level,” Ranganathan said. “Once we step on the court, it is not about who is ranked higher, It is about who performs better, and that is all we need to focus on.”

If the Mean Green wants to grab the momentum, it must take control of both matches by winning the opening doubles point.

That will not be an easy task as Georgia Tech has two of the nation’s top-50 doubles pairings.

“We have to come out focused and prepared and expect to beat anyone, no matter if there is a number in front of their name or not,” Ranganathan said. “We are really comfortable playing doubles, and it is a huge boost to take that first point.”

The Mean Green will attempt to earn its second victory over a ranked opponent against Georgia Tech at noon Saturday, and the team then has an 11 a.m. date with Georgia State on Sunday.