STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton and Louisiana Tech battled last year in Ruston, a classic match between two elite programs. The Lady Techsters pulled out a 4-2 win, handing the Texans one of what would be just four losses on the year. Now, Tarleton will play host this time around with a chance to avenge that loss.
 
The Texans will take on the Lady Techsters in Stephenville on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT. Tarleton has won three straight to improve to 7-3 on the year and is a perfect 3-0 at home. Louisiana Tech, a year after finishing 18-6, is 9-4 this season and 3-1 on the road. They've won three straight road matches at Oral Roberts, South Florida and Stetson.
 
Tarleton is coming off of two 7-0 sweeps at home this past Friday. Emma Persson played both singles matches at the No. 1 position for the first time this season and kept her winning ways, now 8-1 this year, with all nine matches on Courts 1-2. If she stays in the top flight, she'll have the ultimate test on Saturday. Louisiana Tech's Leonie Schuknecht is 10-1 at No. 1 this year, with wins against Wichita State, Wyoming, Tulsa, Oral Roberts and Stephen F. Austin, just to name a few. She was even beating No. 21 Oklahoma State's top player before the match went unfinished.
 
Martha Makantasi played in the No. 2 spot this past weekend for the first time this year, getting a win to improve to 4-4. If she stays, she'll likely draw Olga Bienzobas, the only Lady Techster to play at that position this season, going 6-6. Bienzobas has lost four straight.
 
Tarleton has rotated Celia Vaudiau and Elsa Boisson between their Nos. 3 and 4 spots. Boisson is 6-3 on the year, owning the second best singles record on the team, while Vaudiau is 4-4. Louisiana Tech's Najah Dawson will likely play the No. 3, and Tiffani Nash will likely play the No. 4. Dawson is 7-3 this year, and Nash is 8-4.
 
If Tarleton's top four remains, anything can happen to fill out the rest of their rotation, now that Elif Albayrak has returned from injury. She played at the No. 4 spot on Friday in the first match and got the win, then sat out the second match. Ximena Morales has played mostly at No. 5, going 3-2 in the slot, holding a 4-3 overall record. Clara Sobius has been the primary No. 6, going 5-3 in the flight, sitting at 6-4 overall. The Lady Techsters have also changed things throughout the year at those two spots between Ilana Tetruashvili (6-2), Ana Rodrigues (6-3), Alexia Romero (3-1) and Valentina Vazquez (1-1).
 
In doubles, Tarleton's most common pair has been Makanatasi and Boisson, 4-2 at the No. 1 spot this year. However, the Texans debuted Makantasi and Albayrak for the first time in dual match play this past weekend. Just days later, the duo earned the No. 74 ranking in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Division I Women's Team, Singles, and Doubles National Rankings. It's the first time Tarleton has been in the rankings since becoming a Division I program.
 
The Texans have won the doubles point in three straight matches and six times out of their last eight.
 
Saturday will mark Tarleton's third of six straight home matches to start the month of March. The match will be streamed and have live scoring.