THIS WEEK: at No. 16 Texas A&M on April 17 at Noon in College Station, Texas
UP NEXT: at No. 12 Texas on April 18 at Noon in Austin, Texas

A DOUBLE DOSE OF TEXAS
With the Big 12 Conference Tournament less than two weeks away, the Kansas State women’s tennis team (5-12, 1-8) must first close out the regular season this weekend at No. 16 Texas A&M on Saturday, April 17 at noon and at No. 12 Texas on Sunday, April 18 at noon. The Wildcats have not played back-to-back dual matches against two top-75 ranked teams since doing so against No. 27 Oregon and No. 13 Fresno State on March 22 and 23.

SCOUTING REPORT ON THE OPPONENTS
K-State will look to finish off the season strong against Texas A&M (16-6, 8-0) and Texas (16-4, 7-0) this weekend. The Longhorns have combined for an impressive 36-5 overall singles record and a 15-5 overall doubles record in the Big 12. Led by the play of freshman Petra Dizdar, who has compiled a 5-2 dual record at the No. 1 singles position, Texas is currently undefeated in league play. UT’s most recent win came against Notre Dame on April 12, as the Longhorns handily defeated the Irish, 5-2. Rebounding from a three-set loss to Duke’s No. 9-ranked Amanda Johnson, Dizdar downed No. 11-ranked Alicia Salas of Notre Dame, 7-6, 6-4. The Longhorns are 8-2 when playing at home and will continue their hunt for a Big 12 regular season title. Meanwhile, the Aggies also boast an undefeated Big 12 record and have secured eight-straight conference victories. A&M last defeated Baylor, 6-1, on April 8 and are led by the singles play of senior Jessica Roland at the No. 1 spot and junior Helga Vieira at the No. 2 spot. Both players are 7-1 at their respective positions in Big 12 play. The Aggies will be aiming for their best conference start in school history on Sunday and are a perfect 7-0 when playing at home. Like Texas, A&M will be looking to secure its claim to this year’s Big 12 crown.
 
QUOTING HEAD COACH STEVE BIETAU
“The trip to Texas is always a tough one,” Head Coach Steve Bietau said. “They (Texas and Texas A&M) are two very good teams and playing them on the road is always a big challenge. Maria (Rosenberg) and Paulina (Castillejos) have been playing really well. They have a chance at winning the conference championship at No. 1 doubles and we are excited and looking forward to seeing how they will play this weekend.”

WEEKEND REWIND
Last weekend, the Wildcats fell to the likes of Nebraska on April 10 and 44th-ranked Baylor on April 11. The Huskers shut out the Wildcats, 7-0, by sweeping singles play and winning at No.  2 and No. 3 doubles. The Wildcat duo of Maria Rosenberg and Paulina Castillejos were able to secure a victory at the No. 1 spot, as they defeated NU’s Leslie Harvey and Rose Ketmayura, 8-1. The pair extended their win streak the following day against Baylor, defeating Carolin Walter and Potapova, 8-6. Rosenberg and Castillejos currently lead the conference with an 8-1 dual record in Big 12 play. Teammate Jessica Simosa was the only Wildcat to pick up a singles win against the Bears, as she defeated Daniela Covello in straight sets, 6-0, 6-4.

SERIES HISTORIES
Kansas State is 0-7 against Texas in the all-time series, while Texas A&M holds a 6-0 all-time advantage over the Wildcats. Last season, the Wildcats were shut out by the Aggies, 7-0, and came close to claiming their first victory ever against the Longhorns with a 4-3 loss. Both matches were played in Manhattan.