LAWTON, Okla. (Tennis) – Texas A&M University-Kingsville women's tennis team (9-5, 1-0 LSC) hits the road for four more dual matches before returning home. Most of the trip will be played in Oklahoma as they square off against #24 Cameron University (7-6, 1-0 LSC), Southern Nazarene University (2-6, 1-3 GAC) and a neutral site match against the University of Arkansas Fort Smith (3-9, 1-1 Heartland Conference), respectively. The week will end with another Lone Star Conference match against No. 15 Midwestern State University (10-3, 1-0 LSC) at MSU Tennis Courts in Wichita Falls, Texas.

The Javelinas have a tall order this week, however, they have won three consecutive matches and post a 2-1 record this year when facing nationally ranked opponents. TAMUK's Lisa Carvajal (7-4) and Victoria Romanovskaia (8-6) rank eighth and 20th in singles competition in the South Central Region. Erika Larrea is hot as she has won seven of her last ten matches and is currently on a five-match winning streak which leads the team. Behind her is Julia Rauer who is 8-2 in her last ten matches and has an 8-4 overall record. Larrea and Viviana Ortiz is 5-1 as a unit, while Carvajal and Tabata Lua are 7-4 overall. Both duos are on five and three-match winning streaks, respectively.  

The week will open with a Lone Star Conference showdown with the No. 24 Cameron Aggies at the Streich-Henry Tennis Complex. The Aggies are also 1-0 in conference play after edging Tarleton State earlier this season 5-4. CU is 2-0 on their home court in 2017 and has a pair of nationally ranked athletes in singles play. No. 47 Zhenia Shviadok (second in South Central Region) is 11-1 overall this spring and 9-1 in her last ten matches. The sophomore has won six matches straight and is 2-0 versus regionally ranked opponents. No. 50 Paula Gutierrez (fourth in South Central Region) is 4-8 this year but is currently on a two-match win streak as well as Mathilda Thibaudat (8-4), who sits 14th in the region. Shviadok and Thibaudat is the leading doubles unit. they are ranked 24th in the nation, second in the region and post a 7-4 record this spring.

Next up will be Southern Nazarene who is 2-6 overall and 1-3 in the Great American Conference (GAC). The Crimson Storm will enter the week on a two-match skid and plays Tarleton State on the 30th before their dual match with Texas A&M-Kingsville. Polina Chala is ranked eighth in the Central Region and has a 4-4 singles record this spring. Anna Garcia has been paced SNU after winning five straight and holding a team-best 6-2 record. Chala and Noelia Gomez (4-4) is the only ranked tandem and sit tenth in the Central Region.

The final match of the weekend played in Oklahoma will be at a neutral site against Arkansas Fort Smith. The Lions are 3-9 with a 1-1 Heartland Conference record. UAFS has a doubles team made up of Lindsy Pearce and Brittaney McCasin who rank fifth in the South Central Region.

The Javelinas will conclude the road trip with another LSC dual match against No. 15 Midwestern State at the MSU Tennis Courts. The Mustangs are 4-0 as the host this season and has a 10-3 overall record including a conference 9-0 victory over Tarleton State. MSU has three athletes ranked in the region's singles play starting with No. 5 Daria Panforeva (7-6), No. 7 Bianca Duff (8-5) and No. 9 Eirini Kontaki (10-3). In doubles, Panforeva and Amy Clifton (7-4) ranks third in the region and Duff partnered with Maddy Coffman—who is 10-3 in singles as well— have an unblemished 13-0 record and are 1-0 against nationally ranked opponents. 

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