NEW ORLEANS, La. – Looking to improve upon last year's runner up finish in the Southland Conference regular season and tournament, the Privateers men will play 22 matches this spring with 12 coming at home, while the women's team will also play 22 contests with 15 at the University Tennis Center.
"I am extremely excited for the upcoming season. Â Both the men's and women's teams are well-rounded and have a good mix of returning and incoming student-athletes," said Head Coach Burzis Kanga. Â "Our non-conference schedules are challenging because we are aware of how talented our conference is. Â We have set goals for ourselves for the season, as a team and individually, and I am blessed to have a great group of young men and women that are hard workers and will compete at the highest level."
The men's schedule is highlighted by matches against three teams who made the NCAA tournament last season, starting with the defending SWAC Champions Prairie View A&M at home on Feb. 8 at 2 p.m. Another challenging test comes against the LSU Tigers in Baton Rouge on March 31. The Tigers finished the season ranked No.22 and made the second round of last year's NCAA tennis tournament.
The men's tennis will close the 2014 regular season taking on the third team on its slate to make last year's NCAA tournament, the team that defeated them in the finals of the Southland tournament Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on April 21.  The rematch of last year's championship comes a week before the  2014 Southland tournament.
The schedule opens up with a pair of matches in Houston as the Privateers will take on Texas-Arlington on Jan. 25 at 11 a.m., and the next day will face the host Rice Owls at 11 a.m. The opening month of the New Year concludes with a visit to Jackson State on Jan. 31.
February is a month spent mostly at home on the Lakefront as four of the Privateers five matches will be played in New Orleans at the University Tennis Center. A trip to Alcorn State leads off the month, before four straight home matches, including visits from Conference USA's Southern Miss on Feb. 16, and former Sun Belt rival Troy on Feb. 23.
An eventful month of March follows for UNO featuring 10 matches for the Privateers. Opening the month is a challenging road swing in Oklahoma, first against conference foe Oral Roberts on March 6 with a visit to Stillwater on March 8 to take on Oklahoma State. Â A visit to Thibodaux for a Southland match against Nicholls State on March 19 breaks up a stretch of six home matches out of seven before a visit to LSU ends the month.
After ten days off to start April, the Privateers host two home matches in two days against Lamar and Louisiana Lafayette on April 11 and 13. A trip to conference champion Texas A&M Corpus-Christi ends the regular season on April 21.
"I am confident that our men's team will be able to build on our runner-up finish in the Southland. Â We have a couple returnees and a healthy mix of newcomers that provides welcomed depth to our team, and I believe that we are poised for a good season," said Kanga.
The Southland Conference tournament will be held on the weekend of April 25-26 in Corpus Christi. A top six finish in conference play is required to qualify for the tournament in Men's Tennis.
The women will open the spring in the state of Mississippi with a pair of matches at Jackson State on Jan. 31 and at Alcorn State the next day. A string of six home matches at the University Tennis Center follows between Feb. 8 and March 1, including visits from Louisiana rivals Louisiana Tech and UL-Monroe.
On March 7 and 8 women's tennis will play its first conference matches since the 2008-2009 Sun belt campaign, when they travel to the Longhorn state with a pair of matches against Sam Houston State, and Lamar. Six home matches will follow to close out March, including the first home conference match against fellow first year conference newcomer Abilene Christian.
April opens with a challenge, as defending Southland champion Northwestern State hosts the Privateers on the 5th, followed by a road trip back to Texas to take on Stephen F. Austin. Â Returning home from Texas the UNO women will host a trio of Louisiana-based rivals starting with Southeastern on April 15, followed by Nicholls state on April 18, and McNeese State on April 19.
Women's tennis will then return back to Texas and join up with the men's team in ending their regular season in Corpus Christi against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi on April 21.
The women's side of the Southland Tournament takes place in Corpus Christi between March 24-26. A top eight regular season finish in the Southland is required to qualify for the tournament in Women's Tennis.
"Our women's team will be improved from last season, and like the men, we have a good core returning and some talented joining us. Â I really like the overall improvement shown in the fall, and I know good things are coming for our women's team," said Kanga.
To view the men's schedule, click here; to view the women's schedule, click here.
