University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Women's Tennis Looks to Make Noise at Conference USA Championships
4/20/2022 11:56:00 AM | Women's Tennis
HATTIESBURG, Miss. -- The Southern Miss women's tennis travels to Murfreesboro, Tenn. to take part in the Conference USA Championships. The Golden Eagles close out their time in the C-USA and look to bring home their first conference title in program history.
The Black & Gold enter the conference championships with its highest seeding since 2008. The Golden Eagles enter the tournament as the No. 6-ranked program and will face off with No. 11 Marshall in the opening round.
Head coach Steve Schram has led his squad to its fourth-consecutive undefeated home slate, as the Golden Eagles notched eight victories at the Southern Miss Tennis Complex. Southern Miss has recorded 30-straight wins at home, dating back to 2018, and Schram is undefeated in Hattiesburg since taking the reins of the program four seasons ago.
Southern Miss has been led by a combination of veteran athletes and newcomers throughout the 2022 season. Freshman standout Clara Tardivel finished her first season with a 10-0 record in singles competition, which includes wins in Conference USA matches against UTSA and UAB.
Seven student-athletes for Southern Miss hold winning records in singles action this season. The Golden Eagles hold a win percentage of .712, as the Black & Gold hold a mark of 52-21 in singles action.
In doubles competition, the Golden Eagles finished the regular season having won 14 doubles points in 17 matches. Southern Miss has won 32 doubles contests this season, and enters the postseason with a win percentage of .696.
"We have played very good doubles throughout the season and the chemistry among the teams is second to none," Schram said. "Everyone is ready to step up and compete at a very high level at the conference championships."
The Black & Gold enter the C-USA championships with a 2-1 record in conference play this season. Southern Miss picked up a 4-0 sweep of No. 13 UTSA in a neutral-site contest on Feb. 19, as singles wins from Sarah Medik, Tardivel and Alyssa Richter propelled the Golden Eagles past the Roadrunners.
Ebru Zeynep Yazgan, a veteran leader of the Golden Eagles, has seen the strides her team has made throughout the season. She credits the team's desire to improve was instrumental to its success this year.
"All throughout the season it was easy to see that everyone worked so hard and wanted to win every time they stepped on the court," Yazgan said. "We never gave up and us pushing each other in positive ways was the key to our success."
Southern Miss played its final C-USA contests in Ruston, La. from April 1-2. The Golden Eagles first took on No. 7 LA Tech and secured their second-consecutive win over the Lady Techsters, dating back to last season. The Black & Gold won the doubles point, before singles wins from Yazgan, Suhana Das and Burton sealed the win for the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss fell to No. 8 UAB, 4-2, the following day.
Yazgan has seen the struggles and trials that the team has gone through this season, but commends her teammates resilience through difficult situations. The program has reached new heights this year, which is a credit to both the athletes and coaching staff.
"I am so proud of my teammates for how they've fought this season," Yazgan said. "I am so grateful to be on such a loving and supportive team. Injuries always happen, but my teammates managed to push through it even on the days they thought they couldn't."
The Golden Eagles secured their seventh-consecutive winning season in 2022, and have continued to defeat opponents both at home and on the road. Schram believes his team is prepared and hungry for the Conference USA Championships.
"This is my fourth season as the coach, and each season the team has improved while setting program records and reaching milestones along the way," Schram said. "This is due to the team's hard work and commitment to success despite some challenges. I feel this year the team is hungry, eager and very prepared for the conference tournament."
Scouting the field:
The Golden Eagles face off with Marshall for the first time this season in the opening round of the championships. The No. 11-seeded Thundering Herd hold a record of 12-12 and enter the tournament with a mark of 2-3 in conference play. Marshall defeated the likes of UTSA and host-program No. 12 MTSU, but dropped matchups to No. 2 FIU, No. 9 WKU and No. 10 North Texas.
Southern Miss would face off with the victor of a first round matchup between the No. 3 Charlotte 49ers and No. 14 UTEP Miners in the quarterfinals. Charlotte finished the regular season with a 16-6 record and 2-2 mark in C-USA play, with wins over UAB and North Texas and losses to Rice and Old Dominion. UTEP finished its 2022 campaign with an 8-10 record and have yet to take on a C-USA opponent.
FIU, LA Tech or North Texas would await Southern Miss in the semifinals. FIU finished the season with a 16-3 record and defeated all three C-USA opponents it faced. The Golden Eagles previously defeated LA Tech earlier this season and North Texas enters the tournament with a 9-11 mark.
If the Golden Eagles were to secure their first finals bid in the C-USA Championships in program history, they would be greeted by a team from the opposite side of the bracket. This includes No. 1 Old Dominion. ODU has faced off with top-tier opponents all season, having faced seven ranked foes this season.
Match Information:
Southern Miss takes on Marshall in the opening round of the Conference USA Championships on Thursday, April 21 at 3 p.m. The tournament is set to take place in Murfreesboro, Tenn. and all contests will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
Fans can follow the women's tennis team on Twitter, @SouthernMissWTN for updates.
The Black & Gold enter the conference championships with its highest seeding since 2008. The Golden Eagles enter the tournament as the No. 6-ranked program and will face off with No. 11 Marshall in the opening round.
Head coach Steve Schram has led his squad to its fourth-consecutive undefeated home slate, as the Golden Eagles notched eight victories at the Southern Miss Tennis Complex. Southern Miss has recorded 30-straight wins at home, dating back to 2018, and Schram is undefeated in Hattiesburg since taking the reins of the program four seasons ago.
Southern Miss has been led by a combination of veteran athletes and newcomers throughout the 2022 season. Freshman standout Clara Tardivel finished her first season with a 10-0 record in singles competition, which includes wins in Conference USA matches against UTSA and UAB.
Seven student-athletes for Southern Miss hold winning records in singles action this season. The Golden Eagles hold a win percentage of .712, as the Black & Gold hold a mark of 52-21 in singles action.
In doubles competition, the Golden Eagles finished the regular season having won 14 doubles points in 17 matches. Southern Miss has won 32 doubles contests this season, and enters the postseason with a win percentage of .696.
"We have played very good doubles throughout the season and the chemistry among the teams is second to none," Schram said. "Everyone is ready to step up and compete at a very high level at the conference championships."
The Black & Gold enter the C-USA championships with a 2-1 record in conference play this season. Southern Miss picked up a 4-0 sweep of No. 13 UTSA in a neutral-site contest on Feb. 19, as singles wins from Sarah Medik, Tardivel and Alyssa Richter propelled the Golden Eagles past the Roadrunners.
Ebru Zeynep Yazgan, a veteran leader of the Golden Eagles, has seen the strides her team has made throughout the season. She credits the team's desire to improve was instrumental to its success this year.
"All throughout the season it was easy to see that everyone worked so hard and wanted to win every time they stepped on the court," Yazgan said. "We never gave up and us pushing each other in positive ways was the key to our success."
Southern Miss played its final C-USA contests in Ruston, La. from April 1-2. The Golden Eagles first took on No. 7 LA Tech and secured their second-consecutive win over the Lady Techsters, dating back to last season. The Black & Gold won the doubles point, before singles wins from Yazgan, Suhana Das and Burton sealed the win for the Golden Eagles. Southern Miss fell to No. 8 UAB, 4-2, the following day.
Yazgan has seen the struggles and trials that the team has gone through this season, but commends her teammates resilience through difficult situations. The program has reached new heights this year, which is a credit to both the athletes and coaching staff.
"I am so proud of my teammates for how they've fought this season," Yazgan said. "I am so grateful to be on such a loving and supportive team. Injuries always happen, but my teammates managed to push through it even on the days they thought they couldn't."
The Golden Eagles secured their seventh-consecutive winning season in 2022, and have continued to defeat opponents both at home and on the road. Schram believes his team is prepared and hungry for the Conference USA Championships.
"This is my fourth season as the coach, and each season the team has improved while setting program records and reaching milestones along the way," Schram said. "This is due to the team's hard work and commitment to success despite some challenges. I feel this year the team is hungry, eager and very prepared for the conference tournament."
Scouting the field:
The Golden Eagles face off with Marshall for the first time this season in the opening round of the championships. The No. 11-seeded Thundering Herd hold a record of 12-12 and enter the tournament with a mark of 2-3 in conference play. Marshall defeated the likes of UTSA and host-program No. 12 MTSU, but dropped matchups to No. 2 FIU, No. 9 WKU and No. 10 North Texas.
Southern Miss would face off with the victor of a first round matchup between the No. 3 Charlotte 49ers and No. 14 UTEP Miners in the quarterfinals. Charlotte finished the regular season with a 16-6 record and 2-2 mark in C-USA play, with wins over UAB and North Texas and losses to Rice and Old Dominion. UTEP finished its 2022 campaign with an 8-10 record and have yet to take on a C-USA opponent.
FIU, LA Tech or North Texas would await Southern Miss in the semifinals. FIU finished the season with a 16-3 record and defeated all three C-USA opponents it faced. The Golden Eagles previously defeated LA Tech earlier this season and North Texas enters the tournament with a 9-11 mark.
If the Golden Eagles were to secure their first finals bid in the C-USA Championships in program history, they would be greeted by a team from the opposite side of the bracket. This includes No. 1 Old Dominion. ODU has faced off with top-tier opponents all season, having faced seven ranked foes this season.
Match Information:
Southern Miss takes on Marshall in the opening round of the Conference USA Championships on Thursday, April 21 at 3 p.m. The tournament is set to take place in Murfreesboro, Tenn. and all contests will be streamed on CUSA.tv.
Fans can follow the women's tennis team on Twitter, @SouthernMissWTN for updates.
Players Mentioned
Game Highlights: Southern Miss vs. James Madison
Saturday, January 31
Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference - Jan. 22 vs. Marshall
Friday, January 23
Christian Ostrander Preseason Press Conference
Monday, January 19
Full Highlights - Southern Miss vs ULM
Saturday, January 10











