Texas A&M University Team Page
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The 10th-ranked Texas A&M women's tennis team returns to action Monday as the Aggies play host to Sam Houston State. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
The Aggies, ranked in the Top 10 for the first time since an all-time high No. 9 ranking on March 28, 2001, are 5-1 and are coming off three consecutive victories against Top 15 opponents. A&M has not played since defeating No. 13 Michigan, Feb. 16, in Ann Arbor, Mich., and the Aggies are playing at home for the first time since Jan. 27, when they defeated No. 30 Arizona to qualify for the ITA National Team Indoor Championship.
SHSU is 4-4 on the season after blanking McMurry, 7-0, Sunday in Huntsville. The Bearkats, whose match against the Aggies represents the first of five consecutive road matches, did not drop a set en route to their fourth victory in five matches.
Individually, A&M's Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar is ranked No. 5 in singles with a perfect 5-0 record at the No. 1 court. The All-American is 24-3 overall, including 13-1 against ranked opponents. Senior Nazari Urbina, who is 1-1 at third singles, and junior Cristina Stancu, 4-1 at the No. 2 court, join Sanchez-Quintanar in the national singles rankings at No. 54 and No. 73, respectively.
Two-time SEC freshman of the week honoree Stefania Hristov has been instrumental for the Aggies in the lower half of the lineup and is 5-0 at the No. 6 line, including a come-from-behind victory to clinch the winning point against the Wolverines.
Hristov and Stancu lead A&M in doubles with a No. 11 national ranking and a 4-2 mark at the No. 1 court. Meanwhile, freshmen twins Ines and Paula Deheza have come on strong in doubles, winning each of their last three matches to improve to 3-1 at the No. 3 line.
Tanya Postnikova leads SHSU in wins with a 7-1 mark at No. 5 singles, while Imke Jagau and Kayla Stevenson are the team's top doubles tandem with a 5-2 mark at the No. 3 line.
Texas A&M is 7-0 in the all-time series against the Bearkats. The teams last met Jan. 20, 2007, with the Aggies posting their third consecutive 7-0 victory in the series.
Monday's match against SHSU is the Aggies' first of four home matches over a seven-day span. A&M hosts former Big 12 Conference foe and 19th-ranked Baylor on Wednesday, Feb. 27 and opens its inaugural SEC season Friday, March 1 against No. 38 South Carolina. The Aggies close out their longest home stand of the season with a meeting against defending national and SEC-champion Florida on Sunday, March 3. The Gators enter the week with a No. 4 national ranking.
Season and individual match tickets can be purchased online anytime at 12thManFoundation.com or during business hours at the Athletic Ticket Office located in The Zone at Kyle Field or by calling the ticket office at 1-888-99-AGGIE or 979-845-2311. Tickets also will be available for purchase on game days at the Mitchell Tennis Center beginning one hour before match time.
Visit AggieAthletics.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Aggie-Womens-Tennis/143874782434654
Upcoming Schedule:
Monday, Feb. 25 vs. Sam Houston State, 3 p.m. (Mitchell Tennis Center)
Wednesday, Feb. 27 vs. No. 19 Baylor, 4 p.m. (Mitchell Tennis Center)
Friday, March 1 vs. No. 38 South Carolina, 5 p.m. (Mitchell Tennis Center)
Sunday, March 3 vs. No. 4 Florida, 12 p.m. (Mitchell Tennis Center)
