Houston Opens Fall Schedule at Rice
9/21/2017 12:00:00 AM | Tennis
HOUSTON â€" The Houston Cougar Women's Tennis team kicks off the 2017 fall season with a trip across town to the Rice Invitational, to be held Sept. 22-24 at the George R. Brown Tennis Center on the campus of Rice Invitational.
The Rice Invitational will consist of tournament style play with singles and doubles teams divided into flights of three rounds each. Draws for the Rice Invitational will be released prior to the start of the tournament.
The Cougars welcome back five returners from the 2016-17 season, including sophomore Tsveta Dimitrova, who earned American Athletic Conference Co-Freshman of the Year and All-Conference honors. Dimitrova posted a 7-1 record during fall play in her rookie season including a sweep of her flight at last year's Rice Invitational.
Dimitrova begins the season as the No. 85 rated player according to the ITA Oracle Collegiate Tennis Rankings.
Seniors Sveva Mazzari and Ana Glumac also return for their second fall season with the Cougars. A season ago, both Mazzari and Glumac reached the flight finals of Rice's fall meet before rain washed out the final day, but the strong start led to impressive fall seasons with Mazzari posting a 7-1 mark and Glumac finishing the first half with a 6-3 record.
Sophomores Lauren Alter and Constandena Nicolaou as well as freshman Laura Bernardos will compete in fall play for the first time in the Red and White. Alter and Nicolaou joined the Cougars prior to the spring season last year. Alter would go on to finish second on the team in dual wins with nine, while Nicolaou posted eight victories of her own.
Bernardos joined the Cougars in July after signing her National Letter of Intent. The Valladolid, Spain, native finished her high school career as the No. 73 rated player in the Spanish open ranking according to AGM and was listed as high as No. 60 during her senior season.
UP NEXT FOR HOUSTON
In early September, Dimitrova was selected for the ITA Women's All-American Championships. Dimitrova will travel to Pacific Palisades, Calif, to compete in the pre-qualifying round across Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, while the qualifying round will be held Oct. 3-4 and the main draw will run Oct. 5-8.
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.
FOLLOW THE COUGARS
Fans can keep up with the latest in University of Houston Cougar athletics by following us on Facebook (Facebook.com/HoustonAthletics), Twitter (@UHCougars), 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).
Players Mentioned
