The No. 52 TCU women’s tennis team will play Oklahoma at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center Saturday. TCU last defeated Oklahoma 6-1 in 2008.
The Frogs will aim for their second home victory of the season following a close 4-3 loss to No. 21 Washington. The Frogs are finished with preseason play and are now entering the main part of their schedule, head coach Dave Borelli said.
“I usually divide the schedule into three parts,” Borelli said. “In the beginning of the season, we try to figure out who needs to play where and we get used to playing each other. Then we start to challenge ourselves with some matches so we can get ready for conference.”
Friday’s match against Washington marked the beginning of the second part of the season, and the Sooners represent another formidable challenge.
Oklahoma comes into Saturday’s match ranked No. 22 in the country and just advanced to the semifinals of the Blue Gray Tournament. Borelli pointed out that OU will be the definite favorites on Saturday but that TCU has played tough in several losses this year. Against Washington, TCU dropped several shortened sets that Borelli said he was confident the team could have won. As the season wears on and the Frogs push for a spot in the NCAA Tournament, it is Borelli’s hope that the Frogs can pull off upsets against quality programs.
Senior Katariina Tuohimaa said the upcoming match was like any other and that she was not affected by its magnitude.
“We’re just trying to get better every day,” Tuohimaa said. “We’re getting to know each other better and hopefully we can find a way to win.”
Tuohimaa, of Helsinki, Finland, is considered the team’s top player and one of three seniors leading the team. TCU is 1-3 on the year but has had matches against North Texas at the Berkeley Invitational and against Southern Methodist postponed. However, Borelli said he thought the team was very close to coming together and that he hoped a sense of continuity will help the Frogs despite the slow start to the season.
“This is one of the best groups I’ve ever coached,” Borelli said. “Their chemistry is great and they all work hard; I’ve really enjoyed coaching this season.”
Oklahoma is 7-2 this season with a victory over TCU Mountain West Conference foe UNLV. The Sooners’ only losses came to Stanford and Notre Dame. Five of the Sooners’ seven wins this season have come at the expense of ranked teams.
No. 52 TCU vs. No. 22 Oklahoma
When: Noon Saturday
Where: Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center
Follow live updates on gofrogs.com
Free pizza will be provided to students attending the match.
