The No. 40 SMU women’s tennis team returns home this weekend to host Harvard and North Carolina State. The Mustangs went 2-0 on the road, defeating both No. 70 Troy and No. 71 Louisville.
Leading the way for the Mustangs is No. 1 singles player Natalia Bubien. The sophomore earned her first award of the season last week when she was named the Conference USA Player of the Week. Bubien went 2-0 in both singles and doubles on the road, keeping her undefeated for the season. She partnered with freshman Claire Reitsch for both her doubles wins.
Reitsch, a native of Laguna Beach, Calif., also won both of her singles matches against Troy and Louisville. At the No. 3 spot, Reitsch beat Jo-Ann Van Aerde of Louisville in straight sets 7-5, 6-3. She and partner Bubien continue to have success in doubles as well.
No. 44 Harvard isn’t far behind the Mustangs in national rankings. The Crimson is coming off two losses at home as the women head to Texas to face the Mustangs and No. 10 Baylor, making them 0-2 this season.
On top for the Crimson is sophomore Beier Ko, who has a 10-1 singles record. In doubles, Ko is 3-2 in doubles with partner Lena Litvak.
Litvak, a freshman from the Bronx, N.Y., lost in the No. 2 position against Kentucky but managed to beat Boston University’s No. 3 player.
The Mustangs also take on the women of North Carolina State this weekend. The Wolfpack is ranked No. 43 nationally and has a 4-2 record for 2007. NC State’s only away match resulted in a 2-5 loss in Arkansas.
At No. 1 for the Wolfpack is Daria Petrovic. The freshman is ranked No. 43 in ITA standings with a 4-1 singles record for the spring. In doubles, Petrovic and partner Alejandra Guerra are 5-1. Guerra, a sophomore, moves up and down the roster from No. 2 to No. 4. Her singles record is 3-2 this spring.
The action starts Saturday at 11 a.m. when the Mustangs play Harvard. The Wolfpack comes to Dallas on Sunday at 12 p.m. SMU’s matches will be played at Northwood Country Club this weekend.
