BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Samford University women's tennis team will square off against in-state foe and former Ohio Valley Conference-rival Jacksonville State on Wednesday as the Bulldogs and Gamecocks are slated to meet at the Samford Tennis Center at 1 p.m. (CST).
 
The Bulldogs and Gamecocks are scheduled to play simultaneous men's and women's matches Wednesday at 1 p.m., but if rain is a factor, the women's match will be moved back to 5 p.m., and will be held in Samford's three-court indoor complex.
 
The Bulldogs (3-1) head into the match looking to bounce back from a 4-0 loss at No. 68-ranked Auburn on Saturday. With the defeat, Samford suffered its first setback of the 2012-13 campaign in an early-season, nonconference match held at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
 
On Saturday, the Bulldogs played on the road for the first time this season and also faced its first ranked opponent of the 2013 campaign. Auburn extended its winning streak to five-consecutive matches and has not been defeated since Jan. 16, when the Tigers were topped by eighth-ranked North Carolina on the road in Chapel Hill, N.C.
 
Jacksonville State (1-3) enters Wednesday's in-state battle with hopes of ending a three-match losing streak. Since earning a 5-2 season-opening victory against William Carey University on Jan. 25, the Gamecocks have dropped consecutive contests versus Nicholls State, 5-2, UAB, 4-0, and South Alabama, 7-0.
 
In its most recent outing, Jacksonville State suffered a disappointing setback to in-state foe South Alabama on Saturday in Mobile.

South Alabama took advantage of its strong play in doubles to take an early 1-0 lead. The Jaguars claimed wins at the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles spots to earn the team point.
 
In doubles play, South Alabama's tandem of Paula Sanchez and Emily Newton downed Jacksonville State's duo of Zoe Bizinos and Olivia Nguyen, 8-1, while the Jaguars' Mary Angela Martin and Cinta Papke topped the Gamecocks' pairing of Alexsandra Cmilijic and Isidora Knezevic, 8-2.

In Saturday's singles competition, Jacksonville State's Raphaela Lima and Nguyen battled their opposition to three sets before falling in the final frame. 
 
Lima split the first two sets with South Alabama's Ramona Ghermani before exiting in the super tie-breaker. Nguyen dropped her opening set to Cinta Maria Papke, but rebounded to claim the second set, 6-2.  She eventually lost in the super tie breaker set.

Jacksonville State's Raisa Guasti battled South Alabama's top singles player, Newton, before losing the match, 6-4, 6-2.
 
Last season, Samford also played host to Jacksonville State and tallied to a 7-0 victory. In the Bulldogs' 2012 triumph, they breezed through doubles play with quick victories on all three courts.
 
Samford's duo comprised of Kristin Lewis and Lindsey Mallory tallied an 8-2 victory in the No. 1 doubles matchup, while Madelie Janse Van Rensburg and Stephanie N'tcha swept Jacksonville State's tandem of Rafaela Wenzel and Bizinos, 8-0, on court No. 2.
 
In the No. 3 doubles match, Samford's pairing of Emily Mallory and Jessica Diamond also registered an 8-0 sweep as they blanked the Gamecocks' doubles team comprised of Aleksandra Cmilijic and Kelly Tomlin.
 
Samford also cruised to straight-set victories on all six courts last season. Janse Van Rensburg tallied a 6-2, 7-5 win against Jacksonville State's Guasti on court No. 2.
 
Samford's Lewis earned a 6-1, 6-1 triumph on court No. 1, while Lindsey Mallory defeated Kelly Tomlin, 6-0, 6-0, in the No. 5 matchup. The Bulldogs' N'tcha knocked off Wenzel on court No.3, 6-3, 6-2, as senior Rebecca Kirven topped Izinos in the No. 4 singles contest, 6-4, 6-1.
 
True freshman Adri Lochner picked up her first Samford singles victory last season by breezing by Cmilijic, 6-4, 6-0, on court No. 6.
 
Following Wednesday's in-state contest against Jacksonville State, the Samford University women's tennis team will next be in action Saturday at Noon as the Bulldogs return to the road for a matchup with the Troy Trojans.