Kansas’ tennis team looks to bounce back after a difficult loss last weekend at Tulsa. But Kansas’ players are also overcoming an off-the-court issue. For the last two weeks the Jayhawks have battled a flu bug that traveled through the team.

The Jayhawks will play against New Mexico State on Saturday and UTEP on Sunday and both matches are set for 10 am.

“We are looking to really come out a lot tougher,” coach Amy Hall-Holt said. “We are feeling a lot better all around so that should be a huge benefit and hopefully being in a little warmer weather will help us out as well.”

Practices this week have been geared toward both this weekend’s competition and on the strengths and weaknesses of each athlete this season. “We try to get a lot of rest, and in our practices we try to prepare for the matches and think about what we will be faced with,” junior Maria Martinez said. “We try to make sure we are rested and ready mentally.”

The matches this weekend are the second and third of five matches that the team will play away from home.

“Almost all of our girls have traveled all over the country or internationally, so traveling does not have an impact on how we perform — it is preparing for who we are playing,” Hall-Holt said.

Freshman Vika Khanevskaya played national and international tournaments in Russia and said that it makes traveling easier for her playing for Kansas.

“You just work hard to prepare for the tournaments. It is the same routine it was in Russia for me. Here it is much better because you have a team and you are not alone,” Khanevskaya said.

Kansas will fly out Friday at 8 a.m. to play New Mexico State and then will drive from there to UTEP and fly back to Lawrence on Sunday.

“Traveling-wise the only hard thing for the girls is missing class,” Hall-Holt said. “It is hard going into other schools’ home territory and competing, but the girls are used to traveling a lot and being in different venues, so in that aspect it is not that strenuous for them.”

Despite the difficulties of being on the road, Martinez enjoys the experience.

“For us it is fun because we all get together on the bus and get to spend time together, it is a bonding experience,” Martinez said.

Though Kansas is 3-3 on the season, Kansas is ready to improve their record this weekend.

“We want to get these two wins and I think they are definitely in our reach,” Martinez said.

— --Edited by Kelly Gibson