Women's Tennis: Owls dominate Southern Miss
With their time as members of the women's tennis team drawing to a close, seniors Rebekka Hanle and Jessica Jackson clearly took advantage of their last match against the University of Southern Mississippi (7-11), as they combined for two doubles and two singles victories in the Owls 6-1 win over the Golden Eagles.
Saturday's match started off with three straight wins in the doubles matches, a reliable harbinger for the team this year when it comes to the final outcome of the match. Hanle and junior Ana Guzman had little trouble in their first-seeded match, winning 8-4 over Southern Miss' Vronie van Berlo and Alex Bradley, while junior Alex Rasch and freshman Dominique Harmath won their contest 8-4 as well, while Jackson and freshman Kim Anicete won 8-6.
As the Owls started singles play up 1-0, Harmath and Hanle went back to work, each finishing off their opponents in two sets. Rasch clinched the Owls' 11th win on the year with her dominant 6-1, 6-2 victory over the Golden Eagles' Zoe Lee. Southern Miss' only point came in the No. 6-seeded match as Shannon Rogers defeated freshman Leah Fried in three sets. With their third-straight victory in hand, Rice will take on No. 37 Southern Methodist University (14-4) tomorrow at Jake Hess Tennis Stadium. The Mustangs are owners of a two-match winning streak, and are the second-highest ranked team in Conference USA, after No. 22 University of Tulsa (18-2). After tomorrow's date with the Ponies, No. 61 Rice will have five days off before their final regular-season match against the unranked University of Louisville (11-8), and the C-USA Championship will begin in Orlando, Fla. on Apr. 21. Currently, the Golden Hurricane, SMU, and No. 51 Marshall University (14-5) are the three conference foes that rank higher than Rice.
— Jonathan Myers
More from The Rice Thresher
Garcia drafted by the Rays in the 14th round
Pitcher Roel Garcia became the latest Owl to turn pro on Tuesday when he was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in round 14 of the MLB Draft. According to Garcia, he barely remembers the moment he heard his name called because he was so overwhelmed with joy.
Michigan professor Amy Dittmar named Rice’s next provost
Amy Dittmar, the senior vice provost for academic and budgetary affairs and a professor of economics and finance at the University of Michigan, has been selected as Rice’s new provost, incoming president Reginald DesRoches announced Thursday. DesRoches, the current provost, will become Rice’s president on July 1, and Dittmar will start August 1.
Forbes takes silver at NCAAs
On Thursday, sophomore distance runner Grace Forbes proved to the rest of the country what her Conference USA opponents and Rice teammates have known for years – she’s one of the fastest runners in the country. Competing at the NCAA championships in Eugene, Ore. for the second consecutive year, Forbes, took second place in the 10,000-meter, the best finish by an Owl at the NCAAs in over a decade. According to Forbes, who missed the indoor season and the first month of the outdoor season due to extreme fatigue later diagnosed as an autoimmune disorder, the result was a testament to the work she’s put in to overcome an incredibly challenging year.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication by The Rice Thresher.