UPCOMING MATCHES
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Pacific Tigers at #23 UC Irvine Anteaters
Date / Time: Sat. Mar. 23, 2013 / 11:00 AM
Site: Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Tennis Stadium
#70 Wyoming Cowgirls at #23 UC Irvine Anteaters
Date / Time: Sun. Mar. 24, 2013 / 11:00 AM
Site: Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Tennis Stadium
Sacramento State Hornets at #23 UC Irvine Anteaters
Date / Time: Mon. Mar. 25, 2013 / 11:00 AM
Site: Irvine, Calif. / Anteater Tennis Stadium
DROP SHOTS
The squad is now ranked 23rd in the nation. It is the 'Eaters' highest ranking since March of 2009 when they reached 27th in the nation.
The Anteaters have climbed or held their position every week this season. It's highest ranking of 2012 was 66th.
UCI's seven match win streak matches its best streak since 2009.
UCI's schedule turns homeward bound with the beginning of a nine-match homestand that will encompass the entire month of March. The 'Eaters are currently 6-0 on that homestand and 5-0 in March.
Kristina Smith has now defeated four ranked opponents; No. 112 Kaitlin Burns of LSU, No. 118 Klara Vyskocilova of Tulane, and No. 98 Edyta Cieplucha of SMU as her singles victims. Smith and partner Franziska Goettsching also took down fourth-ranked pair Guillermo/Issara of Pepperdine.
Goettsching and Smith are now the 55th-ranked doubles pair in the nation. They have been ranked as high as 40th.
UC Irvine has claimed the Big West Athlete of the Week award three times this season via Kristina Smith, Sarah Gong, and Ali Facey.
BREAK POINTS
UCI looks to reach the Big West final for the 10th time in the last 14 years.
Kristina Smith leads all active Anteaters with 68 career dual match wins and 51 career doubles wins. She is currently tied for fifth in singles wins and tied for seventh in doubles wins all-time.
Kristina Smith also has 25 career wins as the No. 1 singles ranking her fourth in 'Eater history.
STRAIGHT SETS
UCI used 13 different doubles pairs in 2012. Eight of those pairs spent just one match together. The 'Eaters have used just five pairs through 16 matches in 2013.
Freshmen Sarah Gong and Sarah Stadfelt are a combined 21-6 in singles so far.
UC Irvine is now 10-0 when winning the doubles point.
The 'Eaters have won 10 singles matches when losing the first set. They have also lost just four times when going up a set.
CHANGE OVERS
UCI's schedule features eight ranked schools including UCLA, USC twice, Pepperdine, LSU, Tulane, Wyoming, Louisville, and Long Beach State. UCI is currently 5-3 against them.
FALL RECAP
UCI enjoyed a beneficial fall slate in the Cal State Fullerton Intercollegiate and UH Rainbow Invitationals.
Sarah Gong was the B Flight singles runner-up of the CSUF Intercollegiates. She finished the fall season with an 8-2 record.
Sarah Stadfelt defeated Nakisa Vahdat to claim the CSUF Intercollegiate C Flight singles title. Stadfelt finished the fall at 7-2 while Vahdat went 5-3.
Stadfelt partnered with Marivick Mamiit to win the CSUF Intercollegiate B Flight doubles championship. They went 9-0 as a duo in the fall.
Other notable fall marks were Alison Klein (5-3), Marivick Mamiit (4-3), and Ali Facey (4-3). In doubles, A. Facey/Schweyer and Klein/Vahdat each went 3-2.
TAMING THE TIGERS
UCI and Pacific will meet in their final regular season match as Big West conference members on Saturday. UOP enters the matchup at 6-7 and 1-1 in conference play.
The Tigers have dropped five of their last six including to San Jose State, a program that UCI defeated. Along with that, the Tigers have gone 4-4 away from home.
WYOMING IS COMING
UCI matches up with the Cowgirls of Wyoming for the second year in a row. Wyoming is ranked 70th with a 6-5 record. It is 4-5 away from home, but 0-5 in true road matches including losses to No. 6 Nebraska and No. 2 Duke.
Veronica Popovici was not apart of the match last season, but figures to make noise this time around. She is 3-4 as the No. 1 thus far. She and Simona Synkova lead the Cowgirls as a duo as well with a 5-3 record.
BIG WEST HORNET'S NEST
Sacramento State has started to turn its season around with four wins in its last five to lift its record to 5-8. The Hornets have squared off with six ranked opponents on their schedule accounting for six of their losses. Another loss came to Big West program UC Davis, a team UCI just defeated 4-0.
The Hornets are led by Rebeca Delgado who is 6-7 as the team's No. 1. Jennifer Nguyen has had the most success going 7-6 as the No. 2, 3, and 4. Altogether, doubles has accumulated a 19-18 record.
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