Men's tennis opens season with two losses

By Luke Samora     1/20/14 6:00pm

The Rice University men's tennis team kicked off its season against two ranked opponents: No. 20 University of Texas, Austin and No. 24 Louisiana State University. Playing at the MET on Friday, the Owls lost 7-0 to the Longhorns. Returning to Jake Hess Tennis Stadium on Sunday, the Owls narrowly lost 4-3 to LSU, bringing their season record to 0-2. 

This weekend, Rice will stay at home to play the University of Texas, Arlington on Friday while hosting the University of New Orleans and Texas A&M University, Prairie View on Sunday. 

Head Coach Efe Ustundag said it was good to know that the team is on par with a top team in the NCAA, and he is excited about the upcoming weeks.

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"First and foremost, it is very exciting to know that we are just as good as a top 25-ranked team," Ustundag said. "I was very happy with the effort, intensity and the team spirit we showed today. Of course, we are never going to be happy with a loss. It was a tough one to lose, but a good one to be a part of. I am very optimistic for the next few weeks coming up."

The team can put its record above .500 this upcoming week if it racks up a winning streak against UT Arlington, New Orleans and Prairie View. UT Arlington and New Orleans are coming off conference realignment changes, while Prairie View is the defending champion of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

 

Ustundag said the team needs to focus on building up some momentum in the next couple of matches before it goes back out on the road. With a young team, Ustundag said it is crucial for the team to learn how to maintain a lead.

"The key is going to be taking care of leads and carrying out sets," Ustundag said. "This is what we will be practicing this week."

Ustundag said these three programs do not present as much of a challenge as UT Austin or LSU, but he still expects all three teams to put up a fight.

"We are expecting solid competition this week from these three universities," Ustundag said. "We are hungry for some wins, and hopefully, that's what we will get this weekend."

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