IRVING — The Mean Green tennis team has started to find its groove and it comes at a perfect time.

On Saturday, North Texas won its third straight match and remains unbeaten against Conference USA opponents as they beat Western Kentucky 7-0 at the Las Colinas Country Club. 

Its UNT's third shutout victory of the year in just its eighth match of the young season. 

"The team overall is performing better and I'm very happy for each other," said sophomore Nidhi Surapaneni. "We have to keep believing in each other to get the things done right."

Belief is what North Texas (5-3) did on Saturday.

After securing the doubles point with convincing 6-1 and 6-2 wins at the No. 1 spot in the lineup and No. 2. North Texas had its most dominating performances in singles so far this year.

The Mean Green won all their matches in straight sets and no WKU opponent got more than four points in a set. 

Juniors Ivana Babic and Alexandra Heczey won both their matches by a score of 6-1.

"Both as a team and individually, It's great to have a winning streak at the beginning of season," said Babic who is now 5-0 on the year in singles. "I feel that great things are going to happen to us."

Seniors Tamuna Kutubidze and Maria Kononova kept their streak going to0 as they beat her WKU opponents in straight sets to capture their fourth straight win. It's the second time this year Kutubidze has been on a four match winning streak. She is now 6-1 on the year.

For Surapaneni, the sophomore has carried momentum over from the fall to improve and be leaps and bounds better than her young freshman season. She is one win shy of tying her win total from all of last season.

"I feel like I'm playing much better than last year," Surapaneni said. "I have a boost in my confidence."

The improvement of Surapaneni and Babic, who already has three more singles wins than she had all of last year, has carried the Mean Green to the height they are currently playing at, which is one of the top teams in the league. But it's a level of play that they'll need to continue and carry from as they host two power-five opponents next week in Kansas State on Friday and Arizona on the Sunday Feb. 17. 

SINGLES
1. #69 Tamuna Kutubidze (UNT) def. Laura Bernardos (WKU) 6-4, 6-1
2. Maria Kononova (UNT) def. Lisa Friess (WKU) 6-2, 6-0
3. Nidhi Surapaneni (UNT) def. Judit Gonzalez Agud (WKU) 6-3, 6-2
4. Alexandra Heczey (UNT) def. Zeniece Charles-Hall (WKU) 6-1, 6-1
5. Ivana Babic (UNT) def. Kyla Dilger (WKU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Haruka Sasaki (UNT) def. No player (WKU), by default

DOUBLES

1. #19 Tamuna Kutubidze/Maria Kononova (UNT) def. Lisa Friess/Laura Bernardos (WKU) 6-1
2. Ivana Babic/Alexandra Heczey (UNT) def. Zeniece Charles-Hall/Judit Gonzalez Agud (WKU) 6-2 '
3. Nidhi Surapaneni/Haruka Sasaki (UNT) def. Kyla Dilger/No player (WKU), by default