No. 20 Women's Tennis Strives to Make History in Regular-Season Finales at BYU and UtahNo. 20 Women's Tennis Strives to Make History in Regular-Season Finales at BYU and Utah
Edward Finan / UCF Athletics

No. 20 Women's Tennis Strives to Make History in Regular-Season Finales at BYU and Utah

by Alex Clough

ORLANDO - With a perfect 13-0 home record stamped and certified following a dominating win over Houston on the weekend, the No. 20 UCF Women’s Tennis team will embark on a two-match road trip to conclude its regular season.

While each meeting with BYU and Utah won’t mark the first between the programs, the Knights will make their inaugural trip to Utah for a pair of afternoon contests. UCF will first compete in Provo against the Cougars on Thursday at 2 p.m. ET/noon MT before making the short trip north for a Saturday duel with the Utes at 1 p.m. ET/11 a.m. MT.

BIG 12 TITLE - WHAT’S AT STAKE?

A three-way tie at the top of the conference standings makes for an entertaining finale to the regular season. The Knights, boasting a 10-1 record in conference play, will join No. 19 Oklahoma State for a pair of road bouts, with the Cowgirls traveling north for contests with Kansas and Iowa State. Texas Tech will welcome Arizona State and Arizona to Lubbock.

With no tiebreakers to decide the regular season title, each team sweeping its weekend slate would see a three-way share of the Big 12 crown. As for the conference tournament, head-to-head will come into play, as the Red Raiders handed UCF its lone defeat, while the Knights did the same to the Cowgirls in Stillwater last month.

LAST TIME OUT

UCF tallied its second-consecutive sweep in the home finale on Sunday against Houston, dominating its counterparts in both doubles and singles play. During the opening point, the Knights dropped just five games across the three courts before swiftly taking a trio of straight-set triumphs. Freshman Jade Psonka matched her fellow first-year Olivia Bergler with her fifth clinch of the season.

QUICK HITS

  • For the third time under head coach Bryan Koniecko, the Knights secured a perfect regular-season record at home, winning each of their 13 contests at the USTA National Campus. In 2019, UCF went 15-0 during the regular season before adding three more victories en route to an AAC tournament title. In 2021, the Knights went 11-0 before replicating their tournament performance two years prior to move to 14-0. UCF outscored its opposition 57-11 (29-5 in conference play), tallying five sweeps in the process.
  • The Knights slotted in at No. 20 in the latest ITA rankings while three players were featured individually. Olivia Lincer and Sophia BIolay landed just two spots from each other at No. 98 and No. 100, while freshman Hannah Rylatt joined Lincer at No. 22 in the doubles edition.
  • Having been honored for senior day before the match, Biolay pushed herself up the record books, claiming her 14th-consecutive win to move into sole possession of second place in UCF history. The French native has not lost since January 25, outsourcing opponents 201-97 and dropping just two sets in the span.
  • While the Knights boast a dominating 43-4 record on the front three courts this season, UCF's freshmen have gone a combined 37-15, with Bergler sitting second on the team with 13 wins.

THE OPPONENT

Thursday - #67 BYU at 2 p.m. ET

After dropping three of its first four conference duels, BYU has since gone 5-2 to move into a share of fifth-place in the Big 12 standings. While a two-match skid with defeats at Kansas State and Oklahoma State won’t have the Cougars riding high, the squad holds the upper hand on the Knights after taking the program’s second all-time meeting in Orlando last season.

BYU boasts a combined 36-7 record on courts one and two, with former Knight Grace Levelston holding an 11-5 record when placed among the top two in the Cougars lineup. The team has yet to beat an opponent ranked among the top-30, dropping three matches to squads falling among the top-25.

Saturday - Utah at 1 p.m. ET

A five-match losing streak for the Utes puts them in the bottom quadrant of the conference standings, having been outscored by their opposition 20-6 during the stretch. With a 1-8 record away from home, Utah has seen better play in Salt Lake City, tallying a 6-3 record at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center.

Utah has struggled with depth this season, securing just five wins to 20 defeats on the back two courts. The squad also sits 10 matches under .500 in doubles, having claimed just six courts in Big 12 play.