Mean Green tennis hosts first matches of dual season
Caitlyn Alvarado / Staff Writer
The Mean Green tennis team will host its first matches of the spring season this Saturday and Sunday at the Waranch Tennis Complex. Old Dominion University and Lamar University will step onto Mean Green turf this weekend for the first two of nine home matches this season.
“Home matches are the easy ones,” head coach Sujay Lama said. “We are familiar with this place so home matches are fun and we look at it like we are defending our turf.”
UNT, currently ranked No. 54 in the nation, won eight of its nine home matches last season, falling only to Stephen F. Austin University.
Senior Barbora Vykydalova said she is ready for the spring season to officially begin.
“I am excited to play the first match at home,” Vykydalova said. “I really hope a lot of people come out to see us.”
Mean Green fell to No. 13 Texas A&M University and defeated the No. 41 University of Minnesota in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Kick-off in College Station last weekend.
“If we play like we did last weekend and stay on top of everything, we will win,” Vykydalova said.
The Mean Green will host Old Dominion Saturday at 2 p.m. In the last week, ODU defeated George Washington University, Hoard University, Norfolk State University and the University of Maryland-Baltimore County.
Last season, Lamar was the first team UNT faced. The Mean Green downed the Cardinals 5-2 in Beaumont.
Lamar added two losses to its record last week against No. 32 Rice University and the No. 37 University of Arkansas. UNT will take on Lamar on Sunday at 11 a.m.
“Preparation is the same no matter who we play,” Sprinkmeyer said. “At the end of the week we just play. ODU and Lamar University aren’t ranked so there isn’t as much pressure.”
Despite having two matches in two games, Vykydalova, the team captain, is taking this weekend one match at a time.
“I just want to be the best tennis player and leader I can be,” Vykydalova said. “I just focus on my matches. I don’t think about winning or losing. I really want the girls to look up to me as a role model.”
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