Texas Tech women’s tennis opens the Big 12 Tournament against Houston after back-to-back ranked wins and a late push into postseason form.
Texas Tech women’s tennis heads into the Big 12 Tournament with momentum, confidence and a chance to make some noise again in Orlando.
The Lady Raiders, ranked No. 31 nationally and seeded 10th, open postseason play Wednesday morning against No. 41 Houston in a first-round matchup at the USTA National Campus.
Texas Tech enters at 16-9 overall and 7-6 in Big 12 play, and the timing couldn’t be much better. The Lady Raiders closed the regular season with two big wins, knocking off No. 20 TCU and No. 34 Baylor to build some real energy before the conference tournament.
Those results also reinforced what’s been working for Tech lately: strong doubles play and timely singles performances from the top of the lineup.
That formula starts with Hailey Murphy and Yekaterina Dmitrichenko, who have become one of the steadiest doubles teams in the league.
The duo owns a 21-3 record in dual matches, all at the No. 1 spot, and continues to set the tone early. Murphy has also led the Lady Raiders in singles with 12 dual-match wins, while Dmitrichenko has added nine.
Mariia Hlahola and Havana Kadi have each contributed eight singles victories, giving Tech the needed depth heading into the postseason.
The defending Big 12 Tournament champions know what this stage looks like, and that experience could matter. Last season, Texas Tech put together a title run and Dmitrichenko emerged as the event’s most outstanding performer.
Houston, though, won’t be an easy draw.
The Cougars arrive at 17-5 overall and 8-5 in conference play, riding a five-match winning streak into the tournament. Sophie Schouten has been a major force in singles with a 16-1 dual record, while Valeriia Krokhotina sits at 14-1.
That gives Houston plenty of firepower in a match that could come down to a few tight courts.
For Texas Tech, the path is pretty clear. Grab the doubles point, lean on the strength at the top of the lineup and carry that late-season confidence into another postseason push.
If the Lady Raiders do that, they’ll give themselves a real shot to extend their stay in Orlando.
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