Rice University
TCU
Women's Tennis to Face TCU in ITA Kickoff Weekend
1/25/2024 4:22:00 PM | Women's Tennis
In Brief: Rice women's tennis is set to participate in the ITA Kickoff Weekend versus TCU in College Station, Texas, on Saturday, January 27. The Owls will then face off against host Texas A&M or Northwestern on Sunday, January 28.
The Schedule: Saturday: vs. TCU - Noon CT | Sunday: vs. No. 9 Texas A&M/Northwestern - Noon CT
Match Info: The ITA Kickoff Weekend is a nationwide event featuring 60 teams playing at 15 host campuses, each competing for a berth in the ITA Indoor National Championships. The Owls are returning to the ITA Kickoff Weekend after a one-year gap in 2023. In 2022, Rice fell to SMU, 4-2, in the opening round before defeating FAU, 4-3, in the consolation bracket.
Live streaming and stats are available for matches played on the stadium side of Mitchell Tennis Center. Should the Owls advance to the championship match for the site, live streaming and stats will be available through Texas A&M athletics.
The Owls: Rice started the 2024 season with a 4-2 loss to Harvard. Due to weather, the match had been relocated to AD-IN Tennis in Houston. The Owls won the doubles point in convincing fashion, winning 6-1 at each of the top two positions and leading 5-2 on court three at the time of clinch. Freshman Divna Ratkovic posted Rice's lone win in singles play, winning 6-2, 6-0 at the third position.
The Opposition: TCU is 1-0 this season after a 7-0 win over Northwestern State to start the year. The Owls are 13-28 all-time against the Horned Frogs. TCU won the most recent meeting, 4-3, on Feb. 2, 2020, and has won the last nine contests away from Houston. Rice's last win against the Horned Frogs came in a 6-0 victory at home on Feb. 6, 2019. The Owls' last win versus TCU away from home came on March 13, 1998, when the Owls won, 5-4.
Texas A&M is currently ranked ninth in the nation according to the latest ITA rankings. The Aggies are 2-2 this season with wins over Harvard and Abilene Christian, plus losses to fellow nationally-ranked squads, San Diego and Stanford. Rice is 13-35 all-time against A&M, with their last win in the series coming in a 4-3 win in Fort Worth on April 1, 2012.
Northwestern is 3-0 this season and began the year with a 4-3 win over Florida Atlantic. The Wildcats then posted back-to-back 7-0 wins over Butler and Eastern Michigan. Rice and Northwestern have met only once previously, with the Wildcats winning, 6-1, on January 25, 2015, in Evanston, Illinois.
Players Mentioned
