March 2, 2016 WACO, Texas -- The 46th-ranked Baylor women's tennis team is set to face No. 4 Michigan and No. 1 Ohio State over the next three days at the Hurd Tennis Center.
The Bears will take on the Wolverines Thursday at 5 p.m. and then host the Buckeyes Saturday at 11 a.m.
"We're excited to be back at home and competing in front of our fans," head coach Joey Scrivano said. "Obviously, our schedule is very tough but playing the No. 1 and 4 ranked teams in the nation is a tremendous opportunity for us. The bottom line is we need to play with greater intensity, focus and energy. The tape doesn't lie, this is a major hurdle for this team. Playing with real character is our goal and we've talked about it enough. It's time to get our minds right and leave it all out on the court."
After opening the season 3-0, Baylor (4-7) has recorded just one win in the last eight matches. However, BU's last eight match have all come against ranked foes. The Bears' last win came at home against then 51st-ranked Oregon on Feb. 5. BU is 3-3 in Waco this season and 0-1 at the Hurd Tennis Center. Baylor dropped their last two matches on the road to No. 20 Texas A&M, 4-2, and at No. 29 UCLA, 4-1.
BU is led by the 15th-ranked duo of Kiah Generette and Blair Shankle.
Michigan is 6-2 on the year after knocking off then No. 2-ranked North Carolina, 5-2, on Feb. 20. The Wolverines lineup features three ranked singles players, with Ronit Yurovsky sitting at No. 15, Brienne Minor at No. 17 and Kate Fahey at No. 75. In doubles, Minor and Mira Ruder-Hook hold the No. 10 spot.
Against Michigan, the Bears are 1-1 all-time. Their last meeting was in February 2015 and resulted in a 4-1 win by the Wolverines.
The Buckeyes (12-1) assumed the No. 1 ranking on Tuesday. Their only loss is to now second-ranked California. Ohio State's lineup features the No. 1 ranked player, Francesca Di Lorenzo, as well as Sandy Niehaus at No. 77 and Olivia Sneed at No. 102. In doubles, Anna Sanford and Miho Kowase hold the No. 4 ranking, and Niehaus and Ferny Angeles Paz sit at No. 32.
The hold a 2-1 record over the Buckeyes in the all-time series by winning the last two meetings. Most recently, Baylor took a 4-0 win on March 1 of last year.
Baylor last played a No. 1 team on May 17, 2015, losing to top-ranked USC in the NCAA quarterfinals in Waco. BU is 0-6 all-time against No. 1 teams under head coach Joey Scrivano.
Prior to each match, the team will host a session of the Baylor Cub Tennis Program. Children 11-years-old and under can come to the Hurd Tennis Center one hour before first serve to receive free basic tennis instruction.
Admission to all home regular season matches is free.
Live results and a live video stream for the match will be available at BaylorBears.com with a live blog available as well.
After this weekend's action, the Bears will go on the road to face No. 23 Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, at 3:30 p.m. to open up Big 12 play.
Follow the official Twitter and Instagram accounts of the team: @BaylorWTennis for an inside look with results, photos and stories.
