By Jackson Posey | Sports Writer
Looking to build upon a bounce-back 2023–24 campaign with its most conference wins in three years, Baylor women’s tennis is gearing up to open its season this weekend at the H-E-B invitational.
Last year, head coach Joey Scrivano’s squad rebounded from a disappointing 2022-23 season (3-6 Big 12 record) to go 17-13 overall and 7-6 in Big 12 play. In a post-realignment world, the Bears – knocked out of consecutive Big 12 Tournaments by former conference-mate Oklahoma – have a chance to return to their winning ways.
“I love that we’ve had the majority of our team stay over the summer [to train],” Scrivano said. “Those kids put in a tremendous amount of work. And that’s how you can build a championship team: you’ve gotta have players who are committed to the process. And that sounds cliché, but it’s so true.”
The NCAA tennis world is preparing for a major shakeup this season, as individual championships move from the spring to the fall for the first time. Baylor, by hosting the championships at the Hurd Tennis Center in late November, will get to experience that shift firsthand.
When Scrivano hears “individuals,” the first name that pops into his mind is Cristina Tiglea. The senior, a Texas Tech transfer and native of Milan, Italy, is currently ranked No. 27 in the ITA’s individual rankings, third-highest out of all Big 12 players.
“That’s gonna be a big deal for her, that event,” Scrivano said. “She’s gonna be trying to earn a spot in the event. All of the girls are, but that’s a player that is definitely going to have a short-term focus.”
Tiglea, for her part, is keeping her eyes on the prize after losing in the first round to North Carolina’s Fiona Crawley in last season’s tournament. She’s 50-29 in her collegiate singles career, with a 7-2 record in Big 12 play last season.
“We have so many good matches,” Tiglea said. “The main goal is to do really good during the Big 12 Championships we are hosting. So it’s gonna be different for me, playing — for the first time — at home for such a big event. It pumps me up. And for NCAAs as well. I can’t wait.”
Baylor’s highest-ranked doubles partners are Tiglea and Zuzanna Kubacha, a Polish sophomore who won individual matches against BYU, Kansas and Kansas State last season. The pair currently sit at No. 65 in the nation.
“I’m super excited for the season,” Kubacha said. “I see a potential in the team that we have right now, and I think everybody is gonna put their hard work in, and I’m pretty sure we can achieve great things.”
The Bears will open their season Friday at the H-E-B Invitational in the Herd Tennis Center, which runs through Sunday. The matches will be streamed online here.