RICHARDSON, TX (02.22.10) – The UT Dallas tennis teams were swept by Hardin-Simmons on Friday, only to rebound with their first wins of the spring over Howard Payne on Saturday. All matches were held at the UTD Courts this past weekend.

HSU vs. UTD (MEN'S BOX, WOMEN'S BOX)

Both Comet squads fell in their respective home openers against HSU on Friday, Feb. 19. The UTD men were clipped by a score of 8-1, while the women were blanked 9-0.

Juniors Eric DeBusschere and Jay DeCoste secured the only win between either Comet squad, sliding past HSU's Trey Chavez and Tony Record in the second flight of doubles competition. DeBusschere, who notched UTD's only win in singles action against Dallas Baptist on Tuesday, lost to the Cowboys' Cullen Dees on Friday. Dees is the reigning American Southwest Conference West Division Player of the Week.

DeCoste was the only Comet to avoid getting swept in singles play, dropping a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 decision to HPU's Sean Strehlow.

On the women's side, newcomer Rachel Houston was toppled in her spring debut as UTD's No. 1 singles player. She turned in a 6-1, 6-3 loss to HSU's Lisa Mertz, who also earned ASC Player of the Week honors on Monday. The Cowgirls have won nine ASC Championships, including a stretch of seven straight (2001-07).

HPU vs. UTD (MEN'S BOX, WOMEN'S BOX)

The UTD women's team recorded a commanding 9-0 win over HPU on Saturday, Feb. 20, while the men's squad squeezed out a 5-4 against the Yellow Jackets, thanks to a pair of clutch Comet performances in doubles action.

Alex Ishikawa and Clint Laukuf, UTD's No. 1 doubles tandem, breezed past HPU's Edward Martinez and Chris Sutton, and DeBusschere and DeCoste notched their second straight win at the No. 2 slot. Laukuf, DeBusschere and DeCoste all won in singles play. The Comets (1-2), after withering in their first two matches of the season, will host Schreiner the Ozarks on Feb. 26 and 27, respectively, to complete a four-match homestand.

The women's team (1-1) picked up Ws in all nine of their matches, though two of them were by default. Houston and Jennifer Solis notched a 9-7 win over HPU's Cassie Emerson and Maddie Daugherty in the No. 1 doubles match. The Yellow Jackets failed to to earn a set win in any of the singles flights. Like the men's squad, the Comets will wrap up a four-match home stretch against Schreiner on Feb. 26, then against the Ozarks on Feb. 27.