Sports

Tennis will try to break La. schools

By Emily Davis
The Daily Cougar

Youth is served -- and serving notice -- on the UH tennis team.

The young players did it again Saturday, giving the Cougars their only win in a 6-1 loss to No. 29 Texas Christian, Conference USAis highest-ranked womenis tennis team. Southern Methodist swept the Cougars 7-0 on Sunday.

Nathan Lindstrom/The Daily Cougar

Newcomer Yolandi Terblanche was the bright spot against TCU, as she served up the Cougarsi only win. Freshman Miranda Foley led the Cougars to a 7-0 sweep over Texas-Pan American in the Cougarsi spring season opener last week.

"This is a young team who hasnit felt the pressure of collegiate competition in its entirety," UH head coach Jennifer Hyde said. "They are working hard, and we expect good things from them."

UH (1-2, 0-1 in C-USA) will put those expectations up against Louisiana Tech at 1 p.m. today at the Metro Club indoor courts downtown and Louisiana State at noon Sunday at the John E. Hoff Varsity courts.

"Iim looking for us to come out on top," Hyde said. "Weive reorganized some things and worked hard in practice after this weekis loss."

With reorganization being the name of the game, the Cougars focused on their doubles play in practice this week. Hyde said doubles competition is the most important element to winning matches and was the only aspect of the game her players worked on.

"If we can win our doubles matches, it takes the pressure off of the singles games," she said. "With this young team, the less amount of pressure the better."

But like any team, the younger players will look to the veterans in pressured situations. Senior Ani Longoni and junior Karine Urbin both notched wins against UTPA last week in singles and doubles play.

"As long as we do the right things in practice and matches, the confidence level is going to rise in every player," Longoni said.

Hyde said she sees Urbin as a potential team leader this season and is excited about her performance.

Ask Louisiana Tech (2-1) about a breakthrough year, and the Techsters will spout off one name -- Holly Ready. The sophomore 's three-set win gave the Techsters a 4-3 advantage over Stephen F. Austin last week.

LSU is led by nationally ranked Rocio Fantilli (116th), who stormed past her opponent 6-0, 6-2 on Sunday. The Tigers are now 0-1 in their dual-match season and are looking for their first road win of the year against the Cougars.

The Cougars will next travel to Alabama on Feb. 15 and Alabama-Birmingham on Feb. 16. 

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