SMU vs Denver
Saturday, Feb. 24, 1 p.m.
Styslinger / Altec Tennis Complex – Dallas, Texas
SMU vs FIU
Sunday, Feb. 25, 11 a.m.
Styslinger / Altec Tennis Complex – Dallas, Texas
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SETTING THE SCENE
No. 37 SMU continues their home stretch at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex as the Mustangs host Denver on Saturday and FIU on Sunday.
The Mustangs will face Denver in their first match of the weekend on Saturday at 1 p.m. Regardless of results, SMU will transition to playing against FIU the following day at 11 a.m.
SMU is coming off of hosting both Wichita State and LSU last weekend. The Mustangs swept Wichita State, 4-0, and also defeated the Tigers, 4-1.
The Mustangs won the American Athletic Conference Championship and earned an NCAA Tournament berth in 2023.
Six Mustangs - Hadley Doyle, Taylor Johnson, Maja Makoric, Lana Mavor, Drew Morris and Reka Patel - return from last season's roster.
SMU went 16-9 overall and 10-1 at home during 2023.
SMU enters its fifth season under the AAC's reigning Coach of the Year, Jeff Nevolo.
KNOW THE FOES
Denver is currently 7-2 for the 2023-24 season, most recently beating Utah, 4-0
The FIU Panthers are 4-2 on the season so far, most recently beating UNF, 4-0.
FIU opened the season with a 6-1 win over DePaul.
SERIES HISTORY
The Mustangs face Denver for the third time in program history, most recently defeating the Pioneers 4-1 in 2023.
Feb. 24, 2024 will be the sixth time SMU and FIU have faced off.
The Mustangs last took on the Panthers in a 6-1 loss in 2011.
SUCCESS UNDER NEVOLO
Jeff Nevolo is coming off of leading the Mustangs to their first AAC Championship, defeating UCF 4-0 in the finals.
The Mustangs were the first team in conference history to win all three tournament matches with 4-0 scores.
Nevolo was named the AAC Coach of the Year and mentored four Mustangs to All-Conference honors.
FALLING INTO THE SPRING
SMU competed in six fall events, posting a total of 60 wins across singles and doubles play.
The Mustangs capped off the fall season by traveling to the Texas A&M Invitational to compete against some of the top ranked players in the country.
IN THE RANKINGS
SMU has been mentioned in the International Tennis Association's (ITA)
rankings three time so far this season.
As a team, the Mustangs come in currently ranked No. 37.
Doubles pair Taylor Johnson and Lana Mavor are currently the No. 50 ranked pair in the country.
For the Feb. 7 rankings Morris was ranked No. 109 in singles play.
HAD ENOUGH YET?
Graduate student Hadley Doyle is the AAC's reigning Player of the Year.
She notched her first win in 2024 by defeating No. 75 Valeria Ray in singles play in SMU's home opener against No. 17 Vanderbilt.
Most recently against Wichita State, Doyle earned her fourth win of the year in two sets (6-4, 6-4).
Prior to fall play this year, Doyle was listed on the ITA Division I Top 125 Preseason National Singles rankings, coming in at No. 63.
She is a three-time All-AAC selection and was selected as the AAC Player of the Week three times in 2023.
During her senior season, Doyle earned a team best 28-8 overall record.
Doyle went undefeated in the 2023 AAC Championship, finishing 2-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles.
LOOK WHAT YOU MADE ME DO
On the road against No. 15 Duke, Johnson defeated then-No. 65 Shavit Kimchi on court one in Durham.
As a result of going 5-0 in last week's slate, Taylor Johnson was awarded the AAC Women's Tennis Player of the Week on Feb. 27.
For the 2022-23 year - her debut season as a Mustang - Johnson posted a 23-8 overall singles record and a 13-4 dual match recorded.
She ended last season on a 10-match win streak including a straight set victory in the NCAA first round match up against Baylor.
Johnson was an ITA Indoors All-Tournament selection (doubles No. 3 - 2021)
2022-23 RECAP
The Mustangs won their first AAC Championship in 2023 and competed in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
SMU earned a 16-9 overall record and defeated each of their conference opponents.
The Mustangs recorded 11 total sweeps and seven ranked wins. SMU finished No. 32 in the final ITA poll.
In recognition of their success, Jeff Nevolo was named the AAC Coach of the Year and Hadley Doyle was named the AAC Player of the Year, as well as Doyle, Taylor Johnson and Drew Morris who were awarded four combined All-Conference honors.
WANT SOME MORR-IS?
Drew Morris will be entering her junior season for the Mustangs.
Against No. 17 Vanderbilt on Jan. 21, she decided the match with her three set thriller against No. 24 Bridget Stammel.
She won the first set 7-5 and the third 7-6.
As a result of her win, she earned AAC Player of the Week honors, as announced by the league on Tuesday.
She is coming off of a 2023 in which she was placed on the AAC All-Conference Team and was a two-time AAC Player of the Week..
At this fall's ITA Texas Regional, Morris won every match she competed in.
Her mother, Tammy Christensen, played for SMU women's tennis from 1984-1988.
FRESH FACES
SMU added two freshman - Caroline McGinley and Millie Skelton - as the Mustangs announced their signing class in July.
McGinley, hailing to the Hilltop from New Jersey, was the No. 2 ranked player in all of her home state and was ranked in the national top 50 of 2023 recruits.
Against Duke, McGinley defeated then-No. 78 Karolina Berankova in two sets.
Great Britain native Millie Skelton is the other remaining new face on the Mustangs' roster
Skelton held a junior ITF ranking of 536 with a career-high ranking of 271.
FRESHMAN CLINCHER
Against Wichita State LSU, McGinley secured the Mustangs' s win by earning the final point of the matches.
She defeated LSU's Kenna Ericksonin three sets (6-2, 5-7, 6-4) and Wichita State's Giorgia Roselli, (7-6, 6-4).
Overall, the freshman and New Jersey native is 12-7 on the season and 1-1 against nationally ranked opponents.
ALL AROUND THE WORLD
Taylor Johnson traveled to Chenjdu, China to compete in the 2023 World University Games.
Johnson (6-0, 6-0) later advanced to the third round of play for her final round of competition.
"It was such an amazing experience to represent Team USA on such a big stage," said Johnson. "Competing for your country is one of the most special things you can do as an athlete, and I will forever cherish these moments."
DALLAS OPEN
On Saturday, Feb. 3, Taylor Johnson and Drew Morris participated in the Dallas Open's Women's Tennis Classic with professionals Genie Bouchard and Caroline Wozniacki.
Morris paired with Wozniacki and Johnson teamed up with Bouchard in front of an eager crowd.
Johnson and Bouchard won the match, 7-5.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Mustangs will face off against two remaining teams that are currently ranked in the top 25 by ITA - No. 10 Texas A&M and No. 6 Texas.
SMU will play a total of eight more home matches at the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex in the spring, excluding the American Athletic Conference Championship.
The Mustangs will face five AAC opponents - Rice, Charlotte, USF, Tulsa and Memphis.
UP NEXT
Following play against UTA and UIW, the Mustangs will return home to host Wichita State on Friday, Feb. 16 at 2 p.m.
