Going Back to Cali: Tech draws LMU in NCAA Tournament

LUBBOCK, Texas – For the tenth consecutive season, the Texas Tech ladies’s tennis program is headed to the NCAA Tournament.  

Texas Tech (14-10) will open its run on the 2022 NCAA Tournament by clashing with Loyola Marymount of the West Coast Conference on Friday in Berkely. First serve is about for Noon (CT).  

The Lady Raiders will open play in the NCAA Tournament in the State of California for the third consecutive season. Tech confronted UNLV In the Los Angeles in 2018-19 earlier than returning to LA for the 2021 NCAA Tournament. After defeating San Diego in the opening spherical, Tech fell to Elite 8 participant UCLA.  

Tech ladies’s tennis has gained its opening match in the NCAA Tournament in 4 of the final 5 tournaments which were contested.  

SCOUTING THE LIONS:

LMU enters the weekend at 18-3 total, after incomes the primary at-large bid in program historical past. In the opening spherical of the WCC Championships, LMU fell to San Diego 4-1. The loss snapped the Lions nine-match profitable streak. LMU is presently ranked No. 23 in the nation, and options one ranked participant in Russian Veronika Mirashnichenko. The Moscow native is 14-1 this season and was ranked No. 74 in final week’s ITA rankings. Her lone loss was a three-set setback in opposition to Elysia Bolton of UCLA. LMU defeated the Bruins again on Jan. 26 and has 4 power-five wins this season. Tech and LMU have performed a pair of frequent opponents. The Lions dropped UCSB 4-3 at residence again on Feb. 25 and swept Arizona (4-0) at residence on Mar. 9.  

HEAD COACH TODD PETTY:

“We’re excited to get in for the 10th straight season. This team has done a great job all year and have worked so hard. We’re a young team starting three freshmen, so it was awesome to see their reactions. This experience is why we do what we do. We’ve played so many big matches and close 4-3 matches, but we’ve done a great job of bonding and growing close. They’ve gotten stronger as athletes and conquered the fear of playing the big moments and that’s resulted in some big wins that allowed us to be in the position we’re in. We’re playing our best tennis at the right time and that’s all you can ask for going into tournament time.”

ON LMU:

“LMU is really good. They knocked off UCLA earlier in the year and beat a couple of teams we played this season. They’re very strong at the top and coach Agustin [Moreno] does an amazing job with his team. We’ll make some calls and takes notes, but in postseason play it’s all about us and what we can do. We’ll need to handle the moment and our nerves. Half our team will be playing in the NCAA Tournament for the first time so it’s going to be about experiences and controlling what we can control.”