KINGSVILLE, Texas (Tennis) – Texas A&M University-Kingsville women's tennis team (6-5, 1-0 LSC) returns to the Great State with three dual matches on the horizon. The Javs will host two matches in as many days, beginning with Newman University (3-8, 0-2 Heartland Conference) on March 21 at 2 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. matchup against Laredo Community College (0-4) on March 22 at the Javelina Tennis Courts. They will then have two days off before facing their final Division I opponent of the season, Prairie View A&M University (5-20, 2-2 SWAC) in Prairie View, Texas.
TAMUK has lost two straight matches but are still above .500 and are 1-1 against nationally ranked opponents in 2017. The Hogs still seventh in the South Central Regional rankings and with the new tennis rankings being released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA), Lisa Carvajal (9-5 in singles) jumps up to No. 8 in the region, while Victoria Romanovskaia (6-5 in singles) makes the list at No. 20 in the region.Erika Larrea (6-3 in singles) and Viviana Ortiz (3-5 in singles) are leading the team in doubles play with a 4-1 record after starting the spring 0-1.
The Javelina begin the week with a home match against the Newman Jets, who have lost its last three matches and are 0-4 on the road this season. Newman sits one spot behind Texas A&M-Kingsville in the South Central Regional rankings and are led by Janneke Rijk (8-13) who is ranked 17th in the region in singles play. She has struggled as of late and has a 2-8 record in her last ten matches. The silver lining for the Jets is a tag team of Niamh Packer and Kateryna Stoianova who are on a four-game inning streak in doubles and are 7-3 this spring.
The Hogs will then face nationally ranked No. 16 Laredo Community College who also sits sixth in the Junior College Region II rankings. The Palominos are 0-4 this season and have two players in Lorena Marruffo and Sheerly Bueno who rank 11th and 36th in the nation, respectively. The two also partner in doubles and are fourth in Region II.
The week of dual matches will end at Southwestern Athletic Conference member Prairie View A&M who is 2-4 at home this season. The Lady Panthers are coming off of a 4-3 loss to Alcorn State that snapped their two-match win streak.
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