The No. 18 Longhorns face yet another tough early-season test as they battle No.17 Miami (1–1) in their home opener this Saturday.

Texas’ previous match against No. 13 Michigan last Sunday is one the team would like to forget. Texas lost to a solid Wolverine squad 6-1, with the one match win coming from freshman Petra Granic, 6-3, 7-5.

“We have a very young team and an inexperienced group that requires more of these viciously competitive matches,” head coach Howard Joffe said. 

Without a doubt, Joffe’s team enters another viciously competitive match this week that will truly test his young team’s progression and resilience since the Michigan meet. 

Texas previously dropped its last match 6-1 against the Hurricanes on Mar. 22 in 2013. The Longhorns hope for a more favorable outcome during Saturday’s rematch as they rely on strong performances from their highly ranked stars against a solid Miami team, previously ranked 12th in the nation.

Fifty-fifth-ranked senior Neda Koprcina and standout freshmen Granic and Bianca Turati aim to withstand the Hurricanes in their individual performances.

Granic looks to add to her streak of three unbeaten dual matches to start the season. The young freshman is becoming a truly reliable player for Texas after defeating Michigan’s Mira Ruder-Hook.

In their last outing, the Longhorns failed to win a single match in the doubles competition, ultimately dropping the doubles point. Texas must demonstrate a more determined effort in doubles play in order to gain an early advantage and defend its home court.

The first serve of Saturday morning is set for 11 a.m. at Whitaker Courts.