University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Announce 2016 Spring Schedule
12/9/2015 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
HOUSTON - As the University of Houston Tennis team announces their 2016 spring schedule, first-year Cougar head coach Courtney Steinbock and the team are hard at work preparing for a packed schedule, which includes matches against five teams ranked in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association top-25 following the 2015 season. Overall, the Cougars will face a total of 16 opponents who were nationally ranked at the end of last season this spring.
The Coogs start off the year with a trip to Fayetteville to face the University of Arkansas Razorbacks on Jan. 16. Arkansas was ranked 38th at the end of last season and qualified for the NCAA Team Championship. This is the beginning of six away matches to start the season for Steinbock's squad.
From Jan. 22-24, Houston will travel to Ft. Worth for the ITA Kick-off Weekend. The Cougars open the event against the hosts from TCU on Jan. 22. The Horned Frogs made the NCAA Second Round last season and finished the year ranked 17th.
With a win, Houston will have a day off and play in the event's championship match Jan. 24. A loss sends the Cougars to the consolation match on Jan. 23. Houston will face either Ohio State or Pepperdine in their second match in Ft. Worth. Both teams made the NCAA Tournament last season, with Ohio State finishing No. 21 and Pepperdine ranking No. 22 after making the Second Round.
Houston won't travel far during February and March, with nine home matches. The Cougars will start this stint by going head-to-head with No. 66 Arizona on Feb. 5 and No. 65 Oregon on Feb. 7. This will be followed with a quick trip to College Station to challenge No. 10 Texas A&M on Feb. 13. The Aggies advanced to the Round of 16 last season in the NCAA Team Championship before falling to eventual national runner-up UCLA.
Seven teams will travel to Houston to attempt to take on the Cougars in a packed home stretch from Feb. 26 - March 17. This endeavor consists of five ranked teams from the end of the 2015 season, including No. 59 New Mexico (March 5), No. 54 Brown (March 6), No. 62 Tulane (March 11), No. 16 Texas Tech (March 12) and No. 42 Princeton (March 17). Houston will also host UConn (Feb. 26) and Kansas (March 13).
Of the teams Houston faces during their seven-match home stand, New Mexico, Princeton and Texas Tech qualified for the NCAA Championship last season, with the Red Raiders making the Round of 16.
Houston faced five of the seven teams last season, all on the road. They earned wins over Tulane, Brown and UConn while falling to New Mexico and Kansas.
The Cougars hit the road to Dallas on March 19 to battle SMU. Houston defeated the Mustangs twice last season, a 4-0 win in the regular season and a 4-1 victory in the Semifinals of the American Athletic Conference Championship.
Houston will then spend time on the East Coast as they compete with No. 31 Dartmouth on March 26 in Hanover, N.H. The Big Green made the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament last season, but not before they were upended by the Cougars, 5-2, in the regular season.
The East Coast journey concludes with matches against No. 49 William and Mary on April 1 in Williamsburg, Va., and East Carolina a day later in Greenville, N.C. The Tribe were an NCAA Tournament qualifier last season, while the Pirates fell to Houston, 7-0, in the regular season.
Houston will finish out the regular season at home, facing No. 51 Tulsa on April 9 and North Texas on April 10. The Cougars are very familiar with both opponents after facing each of them twice last season. UH and Tulsa played two classic matches last season, with the Coogs earning a 4-3 road win in the regular season before suffering a 4-3 loss in the Championship Match of the American Athletic Conference Championship.
UH downed the Mean Green twice in regular-season action in 2015, a pair of 4-2 victories.
The 2016 American Athletic Conference Championship runs April 20-23 in Memphis, Tenn. The Cougars are aiming the hoist the trophy for the first time in 2016 after falling in the Championship Match each of the last two seasons. Houston fell to USF in the 2014 final and Tulsa last season, with each match taking place on the opponent's home court.
The 2016 NCAA Division Team & Individual Championships will be held at the Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla. The tournaments run May 19-30, and the Cougars will be looking for their third consecutive bid as a squad.
All 11 of Houston's home matches are currently booked for the John E. Hoff Courts on the University of Houston campus. However, some matches are likely to be moved to Houston Country Club, with exact contests to be announced at a later date.
 | ABOUT THE COUGARS |
Houston returns six letterwinners from their 2015 team, which posted a 22-6 record and received a bid to the NCAA Team Championship for the second straight season. The Cougars finished the year ranked No. 34 in the ITA national poll and set a school record with an 18-match winning streak from Feb. 20 - April 17. They also defeated 11 ranked opponents last year, another program best.
Leading the way for Houston is junior Despoina Vogasari. Currently ranked No. 42 in the ITA national singles poll, the Athens, Greece, native won American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors last season and has already captured the league's Player of the Month award twice in the fall. She made the finals of the USTA/ITA Texas Regional Championships in October and the Round of 16 at the National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in November.
Two seniors bring veteran leadership to the 2016 Cougar squad. Rocio Martin went 16-11 last season, including a 9-3 mark from the No. 4 singles spot, while Maria Cardenas battled injuries to finish the year 16-12. Both players thrived in pressure situations last season, with Martin clinching victories over Washington and Missouri and Cardenas earning the crucial point in a win over Utah.
Junior Tina Rupert is a two-time All-American Athletic Conference selection and also a two-time ITA Scholar-Athlete. The Ljublijana, Slovenia, native won 13 matches last season, including a win in the American Athletic Conference Championship Match.
Sophomores Angela Lorenzo and Mina Markovic both gained valuable experience as freshmen, when they quickly earned vital roles in the Houston lineup. Lorenzo went 18-4 as a rookie, posting the fifth-best single-season winning percentage (.818) in UH history along with earning her first career ITA singles ranking. Markovic finished 14-8, with five victories against American Athletic Conference opponents.
| JOIN THE CENTER COURT CLUB |
The Cougars are proud to introduce the Center Court Club, a restricted-giving program that directly impacts the needs of the University of Houston Tennis program. Gifts to the Center Court Club provide financial support directly to the University of Houston Tennis program for needs beyond the program's operating budget. Revenue generated from the Center Court Club is used at the discretion of the Head Coach for program enhancements. Membership in the Center Court Club is annual and requires a minimum $100 gift.
LEVELS OF GIVING
WINNER
For a minimum gift of $100, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball.
ACE
For a minimum gift of $500, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation and a stadium blanket.
US OPEN
For a minimum gift of $1,000, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation, a stadium blanket, fleece jacket and a lesson from the coach.
GRAND SLAM
For a minimum gift of $2,500, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation, a stadium blanket, fleece jacket, a lesson from the coach and a group lesson from the coaching staff.
Join the Center Court Club
| FOLLOW THE COUGARS! |
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the women's tennis team has established its own official Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonCougarTennis) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarTennis).
--UHCougars.com--
Players Mentioned
