Texas set for the Lone Star State showdown

The Longhorns head to Fort Worth on Wednesday for the ITA Texas Regional Championship. Schools from all over Texas will compete to prove who the best of the Lone Star State is.

This event gives senior Elizabeth Begley a chance to make up for her quick exit two weeks ago in Los Angeles. The Houston native failed to win a match in her first appearance of the season.

At last year’s Texas Regional, Begley advanced to the Round of 32 before Rice’s Natalie Beazant eliminated her in
straight sets.

Junior Annat Rabinovich, another native of Houston, lost in the first round of the main draw last year but won two straight matches and advanced to the quarterfinals of the
consolation bracket.

Competitive performances against teams from around Texas — including Big-12 rivals Texas Tech and Baylor — over the next five days could give an indication of what the season will look like for Texas.

“We’re going to have an incredible lineup for sure,” Rabinovich said. “I think we’re going to do really well, maybe just as good as or even better than
last year.” 

—Chris Caraveo

Brooke Gilbert earns Big 12 weekly honor

Junior defender Brooke Gilbert was named the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday after her performance in the Longhorns’ 2-1 win over Baylor last week. The award is the first of Gilbert’s career. Gilbert played in her 14th career-complete game and buoyed the Longhorns’ effectiveness on defense as the team held Baylor scoreless for 86 minutes. On the offensive side of the ball, Gilbert narrowly missed heading in a goal on a corner kick in the 48th minute of the match.  

Gilbert has played in all but 10 minutes for the Longhorns this season while also scoring four goals on offense.