MOBILE, Ala. – Having tied the school record with 18 straight wins, the University of South Alabama women's tennis team will attempt to make it 20 this weekend at former Sun Belt Conference foes Middle Tennessee and North Texas.

The Jaguars, who stand at 18-0 this season, will take on Middle Tennessee Friday at 2 p.m., and North Texas Sunday at 11 a.m., in their final tune-up before the Sun Belt Championships April 16-19.

"I think these last two matches are at the same level as Tulane," USA head coach Jaco Keyser said. "We know North Texas and they're good. They used to be in the Sun Belt and we had trouble with them. Middle Tennessee is having a great year so I'm very curious to see how we're going to stack up against them."

South Alabama tied the win streak record Wednesday with its fifth straight shutout, a 4-0 victory over No. 47 Tulane, that marked the program's first victory over a ranked opponent since 2009.

"I don't think there's going to be any letdown," Keyser said. "I think we're hungry and we understand the things we have to do preparation-wise. I'm just more concerned with the quality of the opponent we're going to run up against, to see if we're up to the task."

Both opponents have spent time in the ITA rankings this season. Middle Tennessee got as high as No. 65 in March, while North Texas began the year at No. 66 and dropped to No. 70 before falling out of the top 75 in early February.

Middle Tennessee has won nine of its last 10 matches, including eight in a row before a 4-2 road defeat at Tulane on April 3, and stands 17-4 overall and 6-0 in Conference USA play. South Alabama leads the series 20-4 and stopped a four-match losing streak to the Blue Raiders in 2013.

Darya Shulzhanok boasts a 14-3 record at No. 2 and Naraya Moraes is 13-0 at No. 6.

"It's a completely new team up there," Keyser stated. "They're moving in the right direction and are very similar to us. I think both teams are moving in the right direction so you can't look at the past against them."

North Texas enters the weekend with a 7-12 record but has played 10 nationally-ranked opponents and is 2-8 against those teams. The Mean Green is 3-2 in its last five outings, including a 4-3 victory over No. 75 Kansas.

Since winning the first matchup between the two schools in 1990, the Jags have dropped six in a row to NT, with the 2013 meeting coming in the semifinals of the Sun Belt Championships. NT has been ranked the last four times the two teams have met.

Anastasiya Shestakov is 9-7 at the top three singles spots and is 9-4 at No. 2 doubles with Alexis Thoma.

"That's a good team and a good program," Keyser said. "They play a rock-solid schedule, so they by all means will be a tough matchup for us."

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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