Cougars to close out regular season with big win streak

The Cougars improved to 19-4 on the season and further lengthened their program-record winning streak to 15 games after a rally propelled them past the North Texas Mean Green on Sunday. The Cougars now anticipate a tough game to close out the regular season with a home match against SMU Mustangs at 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 8.

The rain and location switch that the Cougars faced on Sunday affected them for only a short time. The Cougars stumbled to open the day as they fell in both of their doubles matches, but came back with a vengeance as they won four singles matches.

“One thing I am always proud of is how our team rises to the occasion late in matches, and we did that again today,” said head coach Patrick Sullivan in a news release.

“But we need to take a page out of UNT’s book and come out hungrier next time.”

The singles wins that went to the Cougars were huge, however, as two freshmen made the first steps toward the team’s rebound. Mina Markovic and Angela Lorenzo both earned dominant victories over their opponents to lead into the later matches of the day.

Senior Elena Kordolaimi and sophomore Tina Rupert won the next two victories for the Cougars, and both were key to the team’s victory. Kordolaimi had a back-and-forth win over her opponent with scores of 6-4 and 7-6, only to be followed by a comeback win from Rupert to secure the outcome.

“Elena and Tina have come through in the clutch many times this season, and today was no different,” Sullivan said. “We have relied on them to win quite a few do-or-die matches for us, and it gives our entire team confidence to know that they don’t shy away from high stakes situations.”

The Cougars’ “next time” will be a great display for the determined mentalities of Kordolaimi and Rupert as they set up against a Mustang tennis team that had their number in the past. It wasn’t until last season that the Cougars picked up their first win over the Mustangs since 1998.

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