The K-State women’s tennis team will be back in action this weekend when the make a trip down I-70 to take on UMKC in Kansas City, Missouri.
The match was originally scheduled to be a double match, but Southern Illinois had to drop out due to inclement weather. K-State will host the Salukis in a makeup match on April 22.
Meanwhile, UMKC is 6-10 on the season and 1-1 in conference play.
The Wildcats are coming into the match on a three-game losing streak, their longest of the season so far.
The streak is the first roadblock this young team has hit this season.
The Wildcats will look to their young talent for help. Freshmen Ana Garcia Navas and Millie Stretton have taken on a lot this season and have been some of the best players for this young team.
Both have risen through the singles ranks on the team to take on tougher roles. These two are crucial to the Wildcats’ success. Victories by Garcia Navas and Stretton will help find success for the rest of the team.
Getting back to the basics is something that K-State head coach Danielle Steinberg said she really stressed to the team during practice this week.
“This was the first full week of practice that we have had in a long time, and it came at a good time for us,” Steinberg said to K-State Sports. “Not only did we need some time to recover, but we also needed to reset and work on some individual things. We went back to the basics in practice and had a strong week on the court. The match against UMKC is a great opportunity for us to implement everything we worked on both in singles and doubles play.”
UMKC has been very good in doubles play this year. Sophomore Marina Albert and her partner, junior Linda Ammar Mouhoub, have a 7-3 record in doubles. Winning the doubles point could play a crucial role in how the matchup will play out this weekend.
K-State is also 2-0 overall against UMKC.
After the UMKC match, the Wildcats will return to the tough Big 12 with a road matchup against the No. 13 Texas Tech Red Raiders, who boast a record of 13-2 and 0-1 in conference play.
