SMU (3-2, 0-0 AAC) at USF (1-4, 0-0 AAC)
USF Varsity Tennis Courts – Tampa, Fla.
Feb. 13, 2022 – 12 p.m.
USF | American
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SMU women's tennis resumes its six-match road stretch as it travels to Tampa to face South Florida (1-4, 0-0 AAC). The Mustangs' Sunday's match at USF will be streamed via gousfbulls.com.

The Mustangs
SMU enters Sunday's match set on earning its first AAC win on the season, and its second all-time program win in Tampa. The Mustangs look to gain ground in the all-time series against the Bulls, who currently maintain a 9-3 edge. SMU's last loss to USF was a 4-3 decision in the 2019 American Athletic Conference Championship Tournament semifinals in Orlando.

Graduate senior Claudia Bartolome led SMU in a 6-1 loss at No. 8 Texas A&M on Feb. 6, earning a 6-4, 7-6 win to take down her undefeated Aggie opposition. After a strong fall outing that included winning her singles draw in the SMU Red & Blue Challenge and a quarterfinal bid at the ITA Regional Championship on Oct. 17, Bartolome has opened the Mustangs' dual campaign with a 3-1 singles record on the year. Bartolome's only loss to date occurred in a 4-2 win against Rice at ITA Kickoff Weekend.

On court one, graduate senior Lexi Keberle holds a 3-1 record through the Mustangs' first five matches. Keberle opened the season 3-0 against UTSA, ACU, and Rice.

Nicole Petchey, despite only holding a 1-1 dual singles record, has played every match on line six for the Mustangs through their first five matches. In each match that has gone unfinished, Petchey has either tied or led her opponent in their final set before the match was called. Petchey's one loss to date was a 6-4, 6-2 affair at No. 8 Texas A&M.

The Mustangs are 3-2 in doubles after starting 3-0 against UTSA, ACU, and Rice, respectively.

South Florida
The Bulls enter Sunday's match seeking their first home win on the season, and first since March 28^th of last year. After opening its 2021-22 campaign on Jan. 23 on the road with a 7-0 sweep of Florida A&M, the Bulls find themselves on a four-match skid, most recently losing a 5-2 decision at home to South Florida.

Last Season Vs. USF
SMU capped a five-match win streak in its first-ever program win at the USF Varsity Tennis Courts, claiming a 4-0 shutout over the Bulls. In the match, doubles pairings Petchey/Winslow Huth and the then-30^th-ranked Jackie Nylander/Hadley Doyle claimed doubles victories. Singles wins for Petchey, No. 68 Nylander, and Huth sealed the Mustangs' win.

2020-21 Notes
SMU completed its 2020-21 season with 21 wins, the most since the 2011 season (23). The mark was good for the fourth-most wins in the nation, and a final national ranking of 45^th.

The Mustangs won 12 of 14 doubles points to conclude its season, including a stretch of seven consecutive during a string of matches that included four ranked teams. 

Doyle and Nylander proved a key doubles pairing for SMU as the duo went 10-8 on the season, climbed as high as No. 30 nationally, and finished the regular season ranked 87^th.

Bartolome and former Mustang Chandler Carter compiled a 13-1 record on court two in doubles, finishing their season with eight consecutive wins.

Nylander handled court one for SMU, amassing a 13-8 record and finishing the season with two top-100 wins and 6-1 against American Conference opponents.

Senior Nicole Petchey went 16-4 on the season, an effort that included a 12-1 stretch over the final 21 matches of the Mustangs' regular season.

Claudia Bartolome won 14 matches in her third season at SMU, including a four-match stretch against ranked opponents in which she claimed singles victory in each.

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