University of Houston Athletics
Houston Honors Seniors on Wednesday vs. SMU
4/7/2015 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
| No. 28 HOUSTON COUGARS at No. 61 SMU MUSTANGS | |
|---|---|
| Date/Time | Wednesday, April 8 · 11 am CT |
| Location | John E. Hoff Courts · Houston, Texas |
| Live Scoring | UHCougars.com/TennisScores |
| Series History | SMU leads, 22-9 |
| Social Media |   |
HOUSTON --The University of Houston tennis team will honor seniors Elena Kordolaimi and Charlotte Phillips prior to their final home match on Wednesday, when the Cougars host SMU at the John E. Hoff Courts. Senior Day festivities begin at 10:50 am CT, with first serve at 11. Live scoring is available at UHCougars.com/TennisScores.
A native of Lamia, Greece, Kordolaimi is a three-time all-conference honoree, including a 1st team nod from the American Athletic Conference in 2014. Kordolaimi enters Wednesday's match with 90 career singles victories and sports a 28-6 record in 2014-15. The senior has earned 47 career dual match wins during her three seasons with the Cougars and will move into a tie for eighth in program history with her next victory. Kordolaimi has notched 20 singles dual wins in 2015 and is just the 11th Cougar to record the feat.
Hear from Coach Sullivan, Angela Lorenzo and Despoina Vogasari about Elena Kordolaimi's impact on the team
The lone four-year member of the Cougar roster, Phillips has been a strong contributor since arriving in Houston from Nottinghamshire, U.K. Phillips has won 70 singles matches in four seasons, including a career-high 18 wins in 2013-14. She has won her flight in four fall tournaments during her Cougar career and was a Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll selection in 2013.
Hear from Coach Sullivan, Angela Lorenzo and Despoina Vogasari about the leadership of Charlotte Phillips
Patrick Sullivan's team enters the SMU contest on a 15-match winning streak, which is a program record. The stretch has lifted Houston up to a season-high ranking of No. 28 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national poll. Sophomore Despoina Vogasari is the No. 42 singles player, and Kordolaimi is ranked No. 118. The latest ITA poll will be released on Tuesday afternoon.
The Cougars last played on April 5, a 4-2 victory over North Texas that stretched their winning streak to 15 matches. Houston lost the doubles point but came back to win after getting singles victories from Kordolaimi, Tina Rupert, Mina Markovic and Angela Lorenzo.
Rupert won the clinching point in both victories last week, including a do-or-die match in a 4-3 win over No. 71 Tulsa on April 3. The sophomore has won three straight matches to boost her record to 12-8, including a 5-0 mark against American opponents.
Houston's freshmen are also in the midst of impressive hot streaks. Lorenzo has won six straight matches and has built an impressive 16-2 singles record. Markovic, meanwhile, has won nine of her last 10 and features a 13-6 record.
 | SCOUTING SMU |
The Mustangs enter Wednesday's match with a 14-5 record, including a 3-2 mark against American opponents. They are ranked No. 61 by the ITA.
SMU fell in their last match, 4-0, on March 31 at Memphis. The loss snapped a three-match losing streak for Kati Gyulai's team.
Sophomore Dasha Sharapova leads SMU with a 22-9 singles record this season, while junior Hristina Dishkova is 21-13. Sharapova paces SMU with three wins in American matches.
The Mustangs are strong in doubles, where Dishkova pairs with senior Holly Verner to hold a 24-5 record. Sharapova's partnership with junior Vaszilisza Bulgakova has yielded an 18-9 mark.
SMU holds a 22-9 lead over Houston in 31 all-time meetings, but UH was a winner in their most recent contest. The Cougars snapped a 10-match losing streak to the Mustangs on March 22, 2014 with a 5-2 victory. Vogasari topped Bulgakova, 6-2, 6-4, and Kordolaimi was a 6-3, 6-4 victor over Dishkova. Rupert and Phillips also won singles matches.
| UP NEXT FOR THE COUGARS |
W ith the regular season coming to a close, the Cougars are set to take part in the 2015 American Athletic Conference Championship. Play runs April 16-19 at the Case Tennis Center in Tulsa, Okla., and fans can access video links through The American's Tournament Central page.
| JOIN THE CENTER COURT CLUB |
The Cougars are proud to introduce the Center Court Club, a restricted-giving program that directly impacts the needs of the University of Houston Tennis program. Gifts to the Center Court Club provide financial support directly to the University of Houston Tennis program for needs beyond the program's operating budget. Revenue generated from the Center Court Club is used at the discretion of the Head Coach for program enhancements. Membership in the Center Court Club is annual and requires a minimum $100 gift.
LEVELS OF GIVING
WINNER
For a minimum gift of $100, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball.
ACE
For a minimum gift of $500, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation and a stadium blanket.
US OPEN
For a minimum gift of $1,000, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation, a stadium blanket, fleece jacket and a lesson from the coach.
GRAND SLAM
For a minimum gift of $2,500, supporters receive a team poster and a signed tennis ball, private practice invitation, a stadium blanket, fleece jacket, a lesson from the coach and a group lesson from the coaching staff.
Join the Center Court Club
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Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougarSports), Instagram (houstoncougars) and YouTube.com (Youtube.com/UHAthletics). In addition, the women's tennis team has established its own official Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonCougarTennis) and Twitter pages (@UHCougarTennis).
--UHCougars.com--
Players Mentioned
