The UConn women’s tennis team is heading to the Midwest this weekend for their next two matches. On Friday, they face DePaul in Chicago, Ill at 11 a.m., and on Saturday they’ll head three hours south to take on Butler in Indianapolis, Ind. at 9:30 a.m. This will be UConn’s first Big East action since their 7-0 loss to Xavier almost two weeks ago, and these two upcoming matches should prove to be tough tests.
DePaul Matchup at a Glance
Historically, these are two women’s tennis programs that haven’t seen each other much. Per UConn’s website, their last matchup was all the way back in 2012. Prior to that, they played in 2009, with both matches ending 7-0 in favor of the Blue Demons. In 2024, both squads have similar win percentages, with DePaul sitting just above .500 at 6-5 and UConn at 5-3. Something that jumps out about the records is the home/away split specifically, as DePaul is 4-0 at home this season and UConn is 0-1 away. Additionally, this will be DePaul’s first match in Big East play, so both teams will have a lot to play for: The Huskies will want to improve their 0-1 conference record and the Blue Demons will want to start off conference action with a win.
Butler Matchup at a Glance
There’s not a lot of history to go off for this matchup either, as the one and only time these two women’s tennis teams faced off was April of last year. In that match, the Huskies were in Indianapolis as well, and they came out victorious by a score of 5-2. This Butler squad has come to play so far in 2024. They boast an 8-4 overall record which includes 1-0 conference and 3-0 home records. This matchup should be one of the toughest tests for the Huskies so far, especially since this team has the reigning Big East Singles Player of the Week, senior Natalie Boesing. However, in the April 2023 matchup UConn junior Maria Constantinou did beat Boesing convincingly in straight sets (6-2, 6-1).
Players to Watch
For the Huskies, it’s the usual suspects to look out for. Constantinou and junior Olivia Wright were just crowned the Big East Women’s Doubles Team of the Week for their stellar performances against Stony Brook and Rutgers. They went 2-0, making their doubles record on the season 3-1. Wright also has a 5-3 singles record out of the first position, with two wins coming back-to-back against Stony Brook and Rutgers. Constantinou isn’t far behind, playing in the second singles spot with a 4-2 record.
DePaul also has a dynamic duo of their own that could wreak havoc this weekend. Sophomore Hannah Smith leads the team with a 10-7 singles record, the only player with double digit singles wins so far for the Blue Demons. She was also the previous Big East Women’s Singles Player of the Week, going 3-0, all in straight sets last weekend against Miami (OH), Northern Illinois and Chicago State. During that span, she also went undefeated in doubles with her partner, senior Greta Carbone. Carbone, the former Horizon League Freshman of the Year from her time at UW-Milwaukee, is second on the team with nine singles wins. She has a 9-8 singles record and when paired up with Smith in doubles the two have an impressive 14-6 record. That means we should be in store for a great doubles matchup between them and Wright/Constantinou.
Boesing was rightfully given player of the week honors for going 3-1 in an action-packed weekend for the Bulldogs. Her three wins improved her singles record to 6-6, and they all came in straight sets against the University of Indianapolis, Eastern Michigan, and Valparaiso. This is Boesing’s second time winning the award and should be a handful for Wright at the first singles position. Boeing’s frequent doubles partner, sophomore Chase Metcalf, also has 6-6 singles record so far this year. The pair currently leads the team with a 4-2 doubles mark. The team is riding high with three wins in their last four matches.
There are some great matchups to watch out for in these two days, and the Huskies can solidify themselves as a real contender in the Big East with two wins.