Women whip weak Texas State, wounded Sam Houston
Christopher Pettijohn
Issue date: 2/5/10 Section: Sports
After a sound defeat at the hands of the University of Texas Jan. 23, a week's worth of practice and reflection was apparently just what the women's tennis team needed to resume its winning ways.
Rice (3-1) began the road back to victory Saturday against Texas State University at the Galleria Tennis & Athletic Club, emerging with a 7-0 victory. Five of the six singles players defeated their opponents in straight sets, and every singles entry took their match.
Doubles also went well for the Owls, as the team swept all three matches behind strong serves and well-placed returns. Their aggressive play made it easy for the Owls to drop the Bobcats (1-2).
The Texas State competition was freshman Danny Trigo's first for Rice, as she arrived at the beginning of this semester from Bolivia. Her definitive 6-1, 6-1 win illustrated that her fall semester had been well-spent in preparation.
While the majority of the Owls won their matches without a hitch, junior Rebekka Hänle's was contested. Her match lasted nearly an hour and a half longer than all of the other matches. Hänle lost the first set in a difficult tiebreaker but maintained her composure to take the next set.
Because the rest of the matches had already been played and the match had been decided in Rice's favor, Hänle and her opponent played a 10-point tie-breaker in the third set. Hänle persevered, raising her game to win the grueling third set 10-4 and the overall match 6-7, 7-6, 10-4.
Hänle's win gave the women's tennis team their first perfect sweep of a rival school of the season and put them back over .500.
Head Coach Elizabeth Schmidt was happy with her team's play.
"[The team] went out there and took care of business, were professional and really took it to their opponents, and that is the style of tennis I like to see from them," Schmidt said.
A day after its win over Texas State, the women's tennis team welcomed Sam Houston State University at Jake Hess Stadium to begin Rice's home season. On their home court, the Owls once again trumped their competition with a 6-1 win.
Rice (3-1) began the road back to victory Saturday against Texas State University at the Galleria Tennis & Athletic Club, emerging with a 7-0 victory. Five of the six singles players defeated their opponents in straight sets, and every singles entry took their match.
Doubles also went well for the Owls, as the team swept all three matches behind strong serves and well-placed returns. Their aggressive play made it easy for the Owls to drop the Bobcats (1-2).
The Texas State competition was freshman Danny Trigo's first for Rice, as she arrived at the beginning of this semester from Bolivia. Her definitive 6-1, 6-1 win illustrated that her fall semester had been well-spent in preparation.
While the majority of the Owls won their matches without a hitch, junior Rebekka Hänle's was contested. Her match lasted nearly an hour and a half longer than all of the other matches. Hänle lost the first set in a difficult tiebreaker but maintained her composure to take the next set.
Because the rest of the matches had already been played and the match had been decided in Rice's favor, Hänle and her opponent played a 10-point tie-breaker in the third set. Hänle persevered, raising her game to win the grueling third set 10-4 and the overall match 6-7, 7-6, 10-4.
Hänle's win gave the women's tennis team their first perfect sweep of a rival school of the season and put them back over .500.
Head Coach Elizabeth Schmidt was happy with her team's play.
"[The team] went out there and took care of business, were professional and really took it to their opponents, and that is the style of tennis I like to see from them," Schmidt said.
A day after its win over Texas State, the women's tennis team welcomed Sam Houston State University at Jake Hess Stadium to begin Rice's home season. On their home court, the Owls once again trumped their competition with a 6-1 win.
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