TCU Women's Tennis Announces 2009-10 Schedule

FORT WORTH, TEXAS (July 16, 2009) TCU women's tennis head coach Jefferson Hammond announced the schedule for the 2009-10 season Wednesday. The Horned Frogs will face nine teams that ended last season in the top-25, and 17 teams that finished in the
top-50.

"This is one of the strongest non-conference schedules in the country, and we look forward to the challenge," Hammond said. "Playing quality opponents helps our players get better and prepares us well for the conference season and the NCAA tournament."

The Frogs' non-conference schedule will be highlighted by home matches against No. 6 Baylor, No. 13 Stanford, No. 15 Arkansas, No. 23 SMU, No. 28 Texas A&M, No. 33 Illinois and No. 44 Virginia Commonwealth.

TCU will also face stiff non-conference competition on the road, facing No. 5 Notre Dame, No. 7 Miami, No. 18 Michigan, No. 22 Vanderbilt, No. 26 Alabama and No. 35 Auburn.

The Frogs will host three Mountain West Conference matches, while traveling away from Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center for the other five MWC meetings.

The fall season will begin on September 18 as the Horned Frogs will kick off the year at the Racquet Club Invitational in Midland, Texas. Selected players will then jump to the West Coast to Pacific Palisades, Calif., for the ITA All-American Invitational, starting Oct. 3. After the nine-day event, TCU will take part in the ITA Texas Regional in Waco, Texas, from Oct. 16-20.

On Nov. 5-8, select members of the Frogs’ roster will close out the fall schedule in New Haven, Conn., for the ITA National Indoor Individual Championships, while others take part in the Kitty Harrison Invitational in
Chapel Hill, N.C., Nov. 6-8.

"We will use the fall to build and gain confidence for the spring," Hammond said. "We have a strong fall schedule that will give our players opportunities to climb in the individual rankings."

The 2009 dual match season will begin in Knoxville, Tenn., to face No. 22
Vanderbilt as part of the “ITA Kickoff Weekend” on Jan. 29. TCU has claimed the
last two meetings against the Commodores to hold a 2-1 advantage in the all-time
series. The Horned Frogs will finish the weekend at Rocky Top with a tall task,
handling No. 10 Tennessee or No. 32 Texas.

TCU will open the home schedule at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center with a
premier battle against No. 13 Stanford on Feb. 5. The meeting will be the first
Fort Worth appearance for the Cardinal.
After an appearance in the final rounds of the ITA National Team Championships,
Feb. 12-15, the Frogs return home to take on cross-town rival No. 23 SMU for a
twilight match under the lights on Feb. 17. TCU holds a 26-17 lead in the
all-time series against the Mustangs, taking four of the last five matches. The
Frogs have also taken the last seven meetings against SMU at the Friedman Tennis
Center.

Four days later, TCU will host No. 15 Arkansas for a chance to avenge the
heartbreaking loss against the Razorbacks that dismissed the Frogs’ in 2009 NCAA
Regionals. The former Southwest Conference foe returns to Fort Worth for the
first time since 1988.

The Purple and White will wrap-up February with a three-match road swing through
No. 18 Michigan on Feb. 24, before taking on Southeastern Conference standouts
No. 26 Alabama and No. 35 Auburn on Feb. 27-28, respectively.

With only six matches scheduled during March, TCU will kick-start the month by
hosting No. 28 Texas A&M on March 6 in Fort Worth. The last two matches with the
Aggies have come down to the final court, as TCU turned the 2009 season around
with a 4-3 victory in College Station. The Frogs will end the weekend with a
matchup against No. 33 Illinois on March 7. TCU will look to build on their 3-1
ledger against the Fighting Illini, meeting for the first time since 1998.

After traveling to No. 7 Miami on March 15 and hosting No. 44 VCU on March 18,
the Frogs’ will head to Wichita, Kan., for a tough two-step against Wichita
State (March 26) and No. 5 Notre Dame (March 27).

TCU will return to the Lone Star State to open Mountain West Conference play,
hosting Air Force and Colorado State on April 2, before ending the home schedule
against Wyoming on April 3. The Purple and White have never lost to the MWC
trio, owning a 17-0 record against the league foes.

After battling UC-Irvine on April 7, the Frogs will make a pivotal trip to Las
Vegas, Nev., to challenge MWC rivals No. 42 San Diego State (April 9) and No. 43
UNLV (April 10). The Rebels were the only league opponent to defeat TCU in 2009,
but the Frogs got their revenge by taking down UNLV in the MWC Championship
finals.

TCU will wrap-up the conference season in Albuquerque, N.M., facing No. 64 BYU
on April 17, followed by a doubleheader against No. 63 Utah and New Mexico on
April 18. The 2010 regular season ends with a return trip to Waco to battle No.
6 Baylor on April 21.

The 2010 MWC Championships will be held in Las Vegas, Nev. April 28 – May 1. The
NCAA Team Championships will take place on May 20-24 in Athens, Ga., followed by
the NCAA Individual Championships on May 25-31.