LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Following a home loss to Northwestern St. last week, the North Texas tennis team had seven days to refocus and regroup in preparation for its next opponent: No. 74 Louisville. The Mean Green and Cardinals begin play at 1 p.m. on February 22 as the visitors look for their third win of the season.

"We have had a great week of practice and are looking forward to another tough match on the road," head coach Sujay Lama said.

Meanwhile, Louisville has been very busy early in the spring season, as the team boasts a 9-4 record. However, after starting out 9-1, the Cardinals have lost three in a row, most recently a 4-3 decision to No. 26 Notre Dame at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center on February 20 . That loss drops the team's home record to 8-1.

In singles play, Alexis Thoma is on a roll. The sophomore from Frisco has won three consecutive singles matches for the Mean Green to improve to 4-4 overall. If Thoma is slotted at the No. 5 spot, where she is 2-0 this season, she will either be matched up with sophomore Olivia Boesing (6-2) or sophomore Chloe Willets (3-1) for Louisville. Either way, North Texas is in for a battle, especially in singles where the Cardinals boast a 51-20 overall record.

"Louisville is a well-coached team and we will need to be at our best if we want to be successful," Lama continued. "The key for us to is to stay disciplined and mentally strong for the entire match."

Sunday will be the seventh all-time meeting between North Texas and Louisville, and the Cardinals hold a 4-2 series advantage over the Mean Green, including a 4-0 win at Waranch Tennis Complex last season on March 7, 2014.

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