MOBILE, Ala. – After a one-week break, the University of South Alabama women’s tennis team looks to improve on their two straight wins as they travel to Tennessee this weekend for a pair of matches.

South Alabama will face No. 31 Memphis Saturday at 9:30 a.m. at the Racquet Club of Memphis and will take on Sun Belt Conference foe Middle Tennessee Sunday at 11 a.m. at the Buck Bouldin Tennis Center.

The Jaguars enter the match with an 11-5 record after going 3-1 in Spring Break action. USA defeated Lamar, Richmond and Hillsborough Community College but fell to Boston University.

“We have a great opportunity this weekend to get better and prepare us for this stretch run,” said USA head coach Jaco Keyser.

Strong doubles play has been the drive behind USA’s recent winning ways. The team is a combined 8-2 over the last four matches. Sophomores Mariya Krachok (Kiev, Ukraine) and Ramona Ghermani (Bad Wimpfen, Germany) lead the Jaguars with a 10-1 doubles record this spring. South Alabama is 30-9 for a .769 win percentage this season.

Memphis opened the season ranked No. 58 by the ITA. The Tigers are 11-5 in their spring campaign after defeating four teams ranked in the top 70. UM currently possesses a four-match win streak and posts a 10-0 mark in home matches. No. 39 Courtney Collins leads the team with an 8-5 record at the No. 1 spot. Collins also pairs with Kelly Gray as the 44th-ranked doubles tandem.

Saturday will mark the seventh meeting between the two schools. South Alabama has won the past six matches, including a 7-0 victory when the two teams last met in 2008.

Middle Tennessee enters Sunday’s clash with a 7-7 record after topping Arkansas at Little Rock 5-2 on Sunday.
USA leads the all-time series with MTSU 17-4, but the Blue Raiders have won four in a row. The two teams faced off last season at the Sun Belt Championships where Middle Tennessee defeated South Alabama 4-2 in the quarterfinals.

“I feel like we are close to making a breakthrough as a team,” said Keyser. “The hard part of being a young team is understanding that it is a process, and by staying the course we will be rewarded. I think we understand that now and if we can have the discipline to stay the course, our future is bright.”

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

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