Houston tennis team celebrating senior Gabriela Cortes’ score after her second round of singles of an NCAA tennis match against Missouri State on Sunday March 29, 2026, in Houston, Texas. | Luis Diego Gonzalez/The Cougar
The Houston Cougars played against the Missouri State Bears on March 29 at the Barbara Wallace Winston Tennis Facility. Houston entered the matches with determination, coming from a loss against the UCF Knights. The Cougars dominated the Bears with unmatched consistency, winning 4-0.
Doubles recap:
The Cougars shuffled the lineup, exchanging the doubles at lines two and three, which ultimately shifted the momentum for the first set of matches of the day.
The Cougars quickly froze the Bears from the first serve. Houston seniors Chems Doha Zeghlouli and Sophie Schouten overpowered Missouri State senior Billur Gonlusen and sophomore Lucy Latham, with extraordinary communication on court. The dominance from the Cougars allowed them to take the first victory 6-1.
Houston juniors Valeriia Krokhotina and Iva Sepa vanquished Missouri State freshmen Leni Eichner and Leticia Caldararo. The Cougars serve and volley tactic supported winning shots for a mirrored 6-1 victory. This terminated the remaining doubles match for the day.
Singles recap:
Onto the singles round across all courts, consistency seemed to be the word of the day for the Cougars.
Houston junior Petja Drame wore out her opponent with rallies for a speedy first set 6-0. The Cougar carried the momentum into the second and kept the pressure on the bear. Drame dispatched Bear freshman Elsie Jackson 6-0, 6-1, for a Cougar victory.
Moving left three courts, Houston junior Elizaveta Morozova heard the bell to wrap up the match. Morozova slowed down the pace from the usual aggressive style shots we’ve seen before and owned Lathan on the court. Replicating Drame, Morozova closed out her match 6-0, 6-1.
A new face on the lineup for Houston, senior Gabriela Cortes entered the 2026 season ready to leave a statement. Cortes set from the baseline to return highballs and dominated. With consistent hits, the Cougar regulated the balls for a final 6-1, 6-0 victory for Houston.
The Cougars demolished the Bears, only letting up a total of five games in all completed matches. The match day lasted an hour and thirty minutes.
What’s Next?
The Cougars are settled 5-5 in conference play. The Cougars will be facing the Oklahoma State Cowgirls on April 3 at the Barbara Wallace Winston Tennis Facility.
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