April 17, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The Texas A&M women's tennis team concludes its regular season schedule this weekend with a pair of Big 12 Conference road matches.
The Aggies (11-9, 7-2 Big 12) take on the Kansas State Wildcats (4-12, 1-8 Big 12) Saturday at noon at Wamego Recreation Complex outdoor courts in Wamego, Kan., and close out the weekend against Kansas (10-10, 4-5 Big 12) Sunday at 11 a.m. at the First Serve Tennis Center in Lawrence, Kan.
"We've got two conference matches left and we are still playing for a lot," A&M coach Bobby Kleinecke said. "We are playing for an NCAA bid. We are playing a seed, position in the conference tournament. There is still a lot up for grabs."
A&M is in third place in the conference standings, one game behind Texas and a half game ahead of fourth-place Colorado. Baylor remained atop the Big 12 and improved to 8-0 with a 6-1 victory against the Aggies Wednesday in College Station.
Aggie junior Elzé Potgieter earned A&M's only point against the Lady Bears, upsetting 46th-ranked Taylor Ormond, 2-6, 6-1, 1-0 (9), to improve to 7-2 in Big 12 matches, all at the No. 1 line. Sophomore Morgan Frank leads A&M at the No. 2 line, where she is 8-1 in conference play.
Potgieter and freshman Sheri Olivier lead the Aggies in doubles action, where they are 7-2 in Big 12 matches and 14-3 overall at the No. 3 line.
Kansas State is coming off a 5-2 upset win against No. 63 Nebraska, snapping the Wildcats' 10-match losing skid. The Wildcats are tied with Iowa State for last place in the Big 12.
Kansas has won its last two matches, including a non-conference 6-1 victory against Tulane last Friday in Lawrence. The Jayhawks are looking to improve on their eighth-place conference standing heading into a contest against Texas on Saturday.
A&M has never lost to Kansas State in 14 meetings. The Aggies have shut out the Wildcats in each of the last three meetings, including a 7-0 decision last year in College Station.
A&M is 13-3 in the all-time series against Kansas and has won the last 10 matches against the Jayhawks. Last year, A&M defeated Kansas, 6-1, in College Station.
Next week, the teams will head to Norman, Okla., to compete in the Big 12 Tennis Championships, April 23-26, at Headington Family Tennis Center. The winner of the tournament will receive the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Championships.
Texas A&M will host the 2009 NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Tennis Championships, May 14-25, at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. Tickets can be purchased online at 12ManFoundation.com or by calling 1-888-99-AGGIE.