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Sports

Cougars hope to finish season on strong note

UH places winning streak on the line this weekend

by IKECHI ACHILEFU
The Daily Cougar

With the regular season coming to a close, the UH tennis team knows that now is the time to play its best. 

The Conference USA Tournament is set to begin three weeks from now, and the Cougars will use each remaining regular-season match to prepare for their biggest tournament of the season.

This weekend should provide another well-needed workout for the Cougars, who'll take on Texas-Pan American at noon Saturday at John E. Hoff Courts. The match will be the first of a three-match home stand before the conclusion of the regular season.

The Cougars (13-5) hope that Saturday's match will help prepare them for the next weekend's important match against Conference USA foe Texas-El Paso.

The Cougars are 2-2 in C-USA, but head coach John Severance knows that being over .500 in conference play is big when it comes to seeding for the C-USA tournament. 

"It is very important for us to approach these upcoming home matches the right way -- especially the UTEP match," Severance said. "A 3-2 (record) equals a quality seed in the conference tournament."

Severance also said it helps when you have a player like Leila Salek at the top of your lineup. The junior from Croydon, England, has won seven of her last eight matches and looks to extend her current winning streak to five on Saturday. 

"(Salek) has been playing well for us lately, and it's always nice to know what you're going to get from a player when they're out on that court," Severance said.

Texas-Pan American (7-8) has claimed five of its last six matches and should give the Cougars the legitimate challenge they desire. Before playing Houston, the Broncs will face off against Rice on Friday afternoon.

The Cougars are 8-3 on their home court this season. They're currently on a four-match winning streak and have won six of their last eight.

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