Men's golf
After snapping a three-tournament winning streak with their fourth place finish at the Augusta Collegiate Invitational last weekend, the No. 3 men’s golf team looks to get back on top at the Western Intercollegiate.
The tournament, held at the Pasatiempo Golf Club, will consist of 54 holes played in a shotgun format from April 11 to April 12. The Longhorns will face a tough field of competitors, with seven of the other 14 teams ranked, including No. 2 Arizona State.
The lineup for the weekend includes sophomore Beau Hossler, who was named Big 12 Golfer of the Month for March. Hossler finished in the top two three times this season. Joining Hossler are freshmen Scottie Scheffler and Doug Ghim, sophomore Gavin Hall and seniors Kramer Hickok and Brax McCarthy. Of the six in the lineup, five will count toward the team’s total.
Play tees off at 9:15 a.m. on Saturday. Live results can be seen at golfstatresults.com.
— Caroline Hall
Women's golf
Mountains provide both scenery and symbolism as the Texas women’s golf team looks to finish the regular season climb this weekend at the Ping USA Invitational at the ASU Karsten Course in Tempe, Arizona.
The Ping USA Invitational, the ninth and final tournament for the Longhorns, represents the team’s last opportunity to gain momentum before the stakes rise for the Big 12 Conference Championship.
The ASU Karsten Golf Course is a par-72, links-style course, where the Longhorns will look to continue their hot streak. With two consecutive second-place finishes behind them, the Longhorns have both the confidence and ability to succeed with a prospective lineup of senior Bertine Strauss, sophomores Julia Beck and Anne Hakula, and juniors Tezira Abe and Natalie Karcher.
While Strauss has led the Longhorns six different times this season, the rest of the Texas lineup has played well, and some have even set personal records. At the last tournament, the Anuenue Spring Break Classic, Hakula set a three-round personal record of 221 (+5). Also, throughout the season, every Longhorn has either set or matched their career-low round.
Fourteen other teams, including the top five nationally ranked teams, join Texas in its regular-season finale.
— Bridget Bonasoro
Volleyball
Coming off of their first win of the spring season, the Longhorns will headline a host of regional teams in the F.A.S.T. Complex Collegiate Invitational this weekend.
The tournament includes primarily in-state opponents, including Big 12 foes Baylor, Oklahoma and TCU, as well as Texas A&M and SMU, who Texas beat last Friday.
Junior outside hitter Amy Neal will look to continue her strong offseason start. Neal registered 12 kills in the loss at Hawaii on March 19 and added 22 more against SMU.
Sophomore middle blocker Chiaka Ogbogu, who was Texas’ lone representative on the All-Tournament team last season, recorded 17 blocks in the two games so far this spring and posted a .522 hitting percentage against SMU. Sophomore outside hitter Paulina Prieto Cerame has tallied 12 kills in each match so far this season.
The Longhorns have been short on manpower, only playing eight players over the course of the two matches. Freshman libero Cat McCoy has been day-to-day with a foot injury, and redshirt sophomore setter Nicole Dalton is out for the spring for rehab.
Sophomore setter Chloe Collins, who split playing time with Dalton last year, has guided the Texas offense in Dalton’s place with 86 assists.
Junior libero Kat Brooks has filled in for McCoy nicely as well, averaging 19.5 digs this spring.
The Longhorns continue their spring season next week with another tournament — the Collegiate Showcase in Dallas — before finishing with a home match against UTSA on April 24.
— Jacob Martella
Women's tennis
Texas hits the road this weekend to face one of the toughest Big 12 conference opponents — the No. 7 Baylor Bears.
Baylor is the highest-ranked team in the Big 12 and has four players ranked in the top 100, according to ITA national singles rankings. Sophomore Blair Shankle is ranked No. 30 and is followed by senior teammate Ema Burgic at No. 31. Together, they rank No. 10 in the nation as a doubles team. Baylor’s other ranked players are No. 85 junior Kiah Generette and No. 99 freshman Leolia JeanJean.
The Longhorns, who are currently ranked No. 36 as a team after a loss to No. 19 Ohio State, will have to bring their best game to walk off the courts with the advantage over the Bears. The Bears have proven themselves to be a force to be reckoned with, defeating multiple ranked teams, including opponents in the top five.
Last year, the two teams met up for the last match of the season. The game was a nail-biter, going down to the last singles match, in which Shankle clinched the last singles point over then-freshman Neda Koprcina to break the tie and win the game, 4–3.
This season, Shankle is projected to play No. 48 Texas junior Breaunna Addison at No. 1 singles. Addison will look to take home her seventh-straight singles win, while Shankle comes in on a five-game streak of her own.
The match is scheduled for noon Saturday in Waco.
— Reanna Zuniga
Track and field
Texas will host its second track and field meet of the season at Mike A. Myers Stadium for the running of the Texas Invitational on Saturday.
The meet, which starts on 10 a.m. with field events, hosts many in-state schools, such as Stephen F. Austin, Sam Houston State and Rice University, as well as some out-of-towners, such as Air Force and Minnesota.
At last year’s meet, several Longhorns highlighted Texas’ victory in both the men’s and women’s races. Senior Craig Lutz, one of Texas’ best distance runners, won the 1,500 meters and junior Basil Fares sealed the win in the long jump.
Redshirt senior Will Spence also hopes to have another successful Texas Invitational. Two years ago, Spence set his then-career high with a discus throw of 188-8 feet (57.52m).
In the women’s events, senior Morgan Snow looks to repeat as the 100-meter hurdles winner. Last year, the women’s team won seven events to beat second-place Baylor by more than 100 points.
Both men’s and women’s track and field teams will compete.
— Bradley Maddox
For live updates throughout the weekend, follow @texansports on Twitter.
