Jan. 27, 2012
ITA Qualifying Tournament Central
WACO, Texas - Baylor's fifth-ranked women's tennis team will bring a six-match win streak into the ITA Indoor Qualifying matches on Saturday and Sunday at the Hurd Tennis Center in Waco, Texas.
Baylor will face unranked UCF in the first round on Saturday at 11 a.m., simultaneous with No. 75 Wyoming and No. 73 UT-Arlington. The Lady Bears and Knights will play on the front courts at Baylor's tennis complex, while the Cowgirls and Mavericks will face off on the back courts. The winners will then play on Sunday at 11 a.m. for a berth into the ITA National Indoor Team Championship that will be held Feb. 10-13 in Charlottesville, Va.
The Lady Bears enter the match looking to build on the best start since 2000 and fourth-best start in school history having defeated their first six opponents. The group has been led by a trio of seniors that have a combined 15-1 mark in dual-match singles play and 11-1 mark in dual-match doubles play. The trio consists of No. 14 Diana Nakic, Nina Secerbegovic and Sona Novakova. Nakic holds the only singles loss at 5-1, while Secerbegovic and Novakova are each 6-0.
Baylor has won at least four of six singles matches in each of its six outings, also getting good production from newcomers Megan Horter and Jordaan Sanford. Horter, a freshman, is 5-1 in dual-match singles play, while sophomore transfer Sanford is a perfect 4-0.
In doubles, the teams of Horter/Secerbegovic and Nakic/Novakova each boast a perfect 3-0 record in dual-match doubles play, helping Baylor take the doubles point in three of four matches.
Baylor's first-round opponent, UCF, enters with a 1-1 team record that includes a win over Florida A&M. They are led by Taylor Dubins' 7-4 singles mark, and the duo of Dubins and Andrea Yacaman, who have a 6-3 mark in doubles.
UT-Arlington enters as the highest-ranked team behind Baylor and is making their season-debut in dual-match play. Wyoming, on the other hand, is also in the top 75 and playing their first dual match of the year.
Along with Saturday's winners facing off on Sunday, the losing team of each of Saturday's matches will also play each other on Sunday at 11 a.m. All information, links and box scores can be found at the ITA Tournament Central on www.BaylorBears.com.
