Daily Skiff

Junior Nina Munch-Soegaard will lead the No. 21-ranked women's tennis team against the University of Alabama on Saturday after their match at Texas Tech University on Thursday night.

The team dropped to 4-3 in the spring season with a loss to a No. 10-ranked University of Miami squad last weekend.

Head coach Jefferson Hammond said that Munch-Soegaard, the No. 6-ranked player in the country, is one of the best players on the tennis team because of her ability to step out on the line.

Munch-Soegaard said the key to being a leader on the court is telling the players that you believe in them and the best way for the team to remain focused on the court is to stay together, be positive and encourage each other during the matches.

Hammond said Munch-Soegaard's charismatic personality has helped her lead the team this year.

Munch-Soegaard said there's not any pressure on her to be the top player on the team and that all of the tough matches against top opponents have helped her improve her game on the court.

Hammond said there's a key area the team needs to be concerned about it its upcoming matches.

"The main thing we need to do is to stay focused during every point," Hammond said.

The No. 63-ranked University of Alabama extended its winning streak to seven matches with wins over the University of Southern Mississippi and Samford University in a doubleheader Sunday to improve its record to 7-0 on the season.

Alabama is expected to counter the Horned Frogs' Munch-Soegaard with sophomore Tiffany Welcher.

The team will head to Texas A&M University next Thursday before returning home to face the University of Michigan on March 8.

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