Houston tennis opens season with three straight road sweeps for first time in program history

The Cougars enter their Thursday doubleheader, coming off three straight sweeps for the first time since 1990. It was the first time in program history that the team completed three straight road sweeps to open a season. 

On Friday, Houston defeated UC Riverside and UC Irvine in Irvine, Calif. 

Season-opening sweep

Junior Valeriia Krokhotina and freshman Alexia Lavinia Puiac defeated UC Riverside’s Susannah Su and Katarina Curcic, 6-1, before senior Petja Drame and junior Elizaveta Morozova defeated Crystal Kim and Camile Li, 6-4, to secure the doubles point.

In singles play, Schouten secured a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Curcic. Before, Zeghlouli added on with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Su. 

Krokhotina clinched the fourth point against Li, 6-1, 6-4, to clinch the match for the Cougars. The same three Cougars secured Houston’s singles points in the evening slate.

Part two of the doubleheader

Houston secured another 4-0 sweep this time against UC Irvine. 

In singles, Schouten secured a dominant win over Maily Huynh, 6-3, 6-0.

Zeghlouli defeated Haily Nuynh 6-1, 6-3 for Houston’s third point.

Krokhotina outlasted Isabella Pitchford, 7-5, in set one before sweeping the second, 6-0, to clinch the second team sweep.

Ahead of singles, Houston won doubles 2-1 to secure its first point. 

Zeghlouli and Schouten defeated Amanda Perez and Carolyna Fowler, 6-3, before Haily Huynh and Yen Nhi Huynh defeated Krokhotina and Puiac, 6-1, meaning the Cougars had to rely on Morozova and Drame for the point.

The duo defeated Izabella Pitchford and Mackenzie Lukin, 6-2, to claim the doubles point for Houston.

Completing the triple sweep

In Los Angeles, Houston claimed the double point with two 7-6 wins over LMU.

Schouten and Zeghlouli defeated LMU’s Anastasia Bozova and Ada Piestrzynska

Meanwhile, the Cougars’ other set win came from Drame and Morozova outsourcing Camila Samel-Druz and Kim-Michaela Zahraj.

In singles, Drame defeated Piestrzynska 6-2, 6-4. Zeghlouli defeated Sofia Perovani with two 6-2 wins. Lastly, Schouten defeated Samel-Druz with a shoutout and a 6-3 win.

Next, Houston will look to keep its perfect start alive as they face University of North Texas and UT Arlington on Thursday.