University of Houston Athletics
Cougars Open 2015-16 Season at Rice Invitational
9/23/2015 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
HOUSTON - The University of Houston Tennis team begins the 2015 fall season this weekend, when they travel across town for the Rice Invitational. The tournament runs Sept. 25-27 at the George R. Brown Tennis Center on the Rice University campus.
The tournament is the first for Houston under the direction of new head coach Courtney Steinbock. Steinbock takes the reins of the Houston program after spending a decade as one of the top assistant coaches in collegiate tennis. The Kansas graduate was named Missouri Valley Conference Assistant Coach of the Year in 2009, when she helped guide Wichita State to the MVC title. Last season, Steinbock helped lead Oklahoma State to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 and was named ITA Central Region Assistant Coach of the Year.
Houston returns six letterwinners from last season's team, which finished 22-6 in dual play and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season. Junior Despoina Vogasari leads the pack after posting a 30-9 singles record that included the USTA/ITA Texas Regional Championship as well as American Athletic Conference Player of the Year honors. Vogasari enters the season with a .764 (55-17) singles winning percentage, third-best in Houston history.
Seniors Rocio Martin and Maria Cardenas return as the most experienced members of the Houston roster. Martin accumulated a 16-11 record last season and was an American All-Academic selection, while Cardenas finished 16-12 and grabbed a spot on the ITA Scholar-Athlete team.
Junior Tina Rupert came on strong late in the season and finished with a 13-9 singles record. Rupert also finished 13-4 in doubles matches and was named to the American All-Conference team for a second straight season.
A pair of sophomores round out the Houston lineup. Angela Lorenzo and Mina Markovic each gained valuable experience as rookies and were anchors in a Houston lineup that advanced to the American Championship Match. Lorenzo's .818 (18-4) winning percentage was the fifth-best single-season mark in Houston history, while Markovic went 14-8, including an eight-match winning streak.
Vogasari, Martin and Rupert will represent the Cougars this weekend, while Cardenas, Lorenzo and Markovic will make their season debuts at a later date.
 | RICE INVITATIONAL HISTORY |
Among current Cougars, Lorenzo and Cardenas represented Houston at the Rice Invitational last season. Lorenzo went 3-0, winning her flight in just her second collegiate event. The Medina del Campo, Spain, native defeated Mary Wright of SMU in her opener before dispatching of Rice's Stephanie Nguyen and Solo Zinko for the title.
Cardenas went 3-1 last season, falling in her flight championship match. She defeated a pair of opponents from UT-Arlington and Jazmin Britos of Louisiana Tech before losing in the finals to Rice's Savannah Durkin.
Vogasari, Martin and Rupert will each make their first career appearance at the Rice Invitational this weekend.
| UP NEXT FOR HOUSTON |
Vogasari returns to action for the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championship, which runs Oct. 6-11 in Pacific Palisades, Calif. This will be the junior's third appearance at the prestigious fall national championship; last season she won a pair of singles matches.
The full Cougar squad is back on the courts for the USTA/ITA Texas Regional Championships, to be held Oct. 22-26 in College Station, Texas. Vogasari captured the Regional crown in 2014, a first in Houston history, while Cardenas earned a pair of wins.
| 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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--UHCougars.com--
Players Mentioned
