The No. 62 SMU women’s tennis team heads to Houston this weekend to play conference opponent Rice at the Jake Hess Tennis Stadium.
The Mustangs remain 11-4 for the season after Wednesday’s match against Arkansas was postponed due to inclement weather. The match has been rescheduled for April 3 here in Dallas.
Rice is the third C-USA match-up for SMU this season. The Mustangs lost to Tulsa 4-3 in late February but defeated Houston 7-0 earlier this month.
Rice also lost to Tulsa 4-3 in its only conference match so far this season. The Owls are 4-11 overall and 3-6 at home. They’ve suffered losses to big names such as No. 10 Baylor, No. 26 TCU and No. 29 BYU (rankings reflect position when facing Rice). Their most recent match resulted in a 7-0 sweep of Columbia.
Leading the Owls is Julie Chao at No. 1 singles. The San Diego, Calif., native holds a 6-6 record at No. 1 and a 7-8 record in dual matches overall. She and partner Tiffany Lee have a 4-9 record at No. 1 doubles this season.
Lee, a junior also from California, has spent time at No. 2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles this season with a 6-9 record overall in dual matches.
Christine Dao predominantly plays at No. 2 for the Owls and pairs with Emily Braid at No. 3 doubles. The duo has a 3-6 record, including a loss to conference opponent Tulsa.
For the Mustangs, Junior Natalia Bubien leads the roster, playing No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles with partner Claire Reitsch. With a 7-5 record at No. 1 (13-9 overall), Bubien won two of her last three matches. When pairing with Reitsch, the pair boasts an 11-2 dual match record (12-3 overall).
Jennifer Chay played at No. 1 singles three times this season, but generally defends the No. 2 spot. The senior holds a 5-4 record at No. 2, 9-7 overall.
Freshmen Reitsch and Pavi Francis currently have the two best singles records on the squad, 12-2 and 11-4, respectively. Reitsch typically plays at No. 3 with a record of 10-1 but has played three matches at No. 2, going 2-1. Francis, who pairs with Chay at No. 2 doubles for a 9-6 record, has spent the majority of the season at No. 4 with a 7-2 record. Filling in the rest of the roster are senior Georgiana Marta and sophomores Kristen Reid and Monica Neveklovska. Marta has an 8-4 record overall, going 6-3 in the last 10 matches SMU has played.
Reid and Neveklovska have traded places at No. 6 throughout the season and are paired at No. 3 doubles, recording eight wins and five losses overall this season.
The Mustangs return to Dallas on March 31 for a double-header against Louisiana-Lafayette and Prairie View A&M. Those contests mark the beginning of a five-match home stand for the SMU squad.
