The No. 24 Longhorns (10-6, 4-2) are surging late in the conference season, currently riding a three-game winning streak — all of which have been shutouts.
In its last outing, Texas dominated a less than stellar Iowa State squad. The young Texas team did not lose a single set across the board to the Cyclones in the 4-0 shutout victory.
Eighty-fourth-ranked freshman Petra Granic was the star of the match for the Longhorns. Granic emphatically defeated the Cyclones’ Regina Espindola with counts of 6-1, 6-0.
“If our collective drive is strong, I see us storming to the finish line this year,” head coach Howard Joffe said.
This week the Longhorns travel to Waco to take on the No. 15 Baylor Bears (16-5, 3-2) in another important conference matchup.
The Bears come into the matchup against Texas also on a strong three-game winning streak, recently defeating SMU, West Virginia and Iowa State.
This match could have a huge impact on the Bears’ conference season. Baylor is currently one step behind the Longhorns in the Big 12 rankings, checking in at fourth place.
Baylor will rely heavily on star senior Blair Shankle who has risen up the national rankings to fifth overall. Shankle has served as the Bears’ anchor, guiding them to a perfect 10-0 record at their home court in Waco.
Texas desperately needs a victory in the doubles competition to earn an early advantage in the match against a Baylor — a team that can undoubtedly hold its own in singles play. Texas will look to 46th-ranked pair of freshman Petra Granic and junior Dani Wagland to provide the spark needed for a doubles-point victory.
Texas’ star 36th-ranked freshman Bianca Turati will look to add yet another win against a top ranked singles player against Baylor. Turati has been the Longhorns most reliable player all season long, showing that her young age does not correlate to the amount of grit she shows on the court week in and week out.
The Longhorns’ critical matchup against Baylor will commence on Wednesday in Waco, with the first serve occurring at 6 p.m.
