The No. 41 Lobos (19-9, 6-1) earned the top seed in the Mountain West men’s bracket after a 4-0 victory over the Air Force Falcons last Saturday.
This was no small accomplishment, but UNM head coach Bart Scott says his team has a lot more to offer.
“We are not satisfied. We are still very hungry,” he said.
The Lobos are hosting the 2015 Mountain West Tennis Championships this week, and the team said it won’t settle for anything less than a first-place trophy.
This was Scott’s first year as head coach for the Lobos. But although the team has seen plenty of success this season, he gives most of the credit to former coach Alan Dils and to the players themselves.
“We were already building something special,” Scott said. “This year we just kept the ball rolling.”
The Lobos might have a target on their backs because of their current ranking, but Scott said they will not let the pressure get to them. And to do this, the key is to remain focused.
“If we lose focus, we lose our edge,” he said.
Round one of the men’s championship begins today as all eight teams compete at the McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium.
UNM will face Air Force at 6 p.m.
Although the Lobos recently defeated the Falcons, there is no guarantee that the results will be the same today. Scott said his team’s goal was to make it to Sunday’s final, but to do that, the Lobos will have to remain hungry and not look past any team.
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One team that should definitely not be overlooked is Boise State. The Broncos are coming into the tournament with a 4-3 MW record, and a 12-15 overall record. But these stats are not what make the team dangerous.
In 2012, the Broncos made their first appearance in the MW conference when they earned a No. 1 seed and received their first MW championship title.
Today, Boise State is the three-time defending MW champion, having defeated the Lobos in the final round three years in a row.
This year the Broncos are looking for their fourth title, but the Lobos are looking to stop them.
“Our team fights as hard as anyone in the nation,” Scott said. “But I don’t like being in a position where we’ve been punched in the face and have to fight back. We have to play hard from the beginning.”
The women’s championship is also taking place at the McKinnon Stadium this week. The first round began on Wednesday.
The Lobo women ended their regular season with a 13-9 overall record, and 4-2 in the MW. They are currently ranked No. 61 in the nation and have the second seed in the tournament.
UNM’s first game will be in the Friday quarterfinals against Nevada.
All of this year’s championship matches will be broadcast live on the Mountain West Network.
Isabel Gonzalez is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter
@cisabelg.
