The New Mexico women’s tennis team will try to get back in the win column when it returns home to host Denver University on Friday.
The Lobos dropped two consecutive contests in Minneapolis, Minnesota last weekend at the Courtside Classic, losing to Mississippi State 1-6 and Minnesota 2-5. New Mexico opened the season 3-0 at home and will try to protect that undefeated record against Denver.
Denver enters the match 7-1 on the season, riding a six-match winning streak. They are coming off wins over Utah 4-3, Brigham Young 4-3 and Utah State 6-1 on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The team’s lone loss is to defending national champion Vanderbilt.
Head coach Kelcy McKenna said Denver is a very strong team that is playing extremely well right now, making it a tough matchup.
“Denver is coming off a really great weekend,” McKenna said. “I think it’ll be a great test for us to see if we can make those adjustments and play a more consistent brand of tennis.”
McKenna said maintaining energy, focus and consistent play will be important. She said the team will need to do a good job of executing in big spots and make the most of opportunities when they present themselves.
The head coach said playing at home is something that could help achieve those goals. She said the team loves playing in front of the fans and people that support them.
“We’re excited to get back and compete again and try to improve from the last two matches,” she said. “We’ll see what we’ve learned and make strides to get a little bit better.”
Spring tennis is played in a dual match format that awards a single point to the school that wins the best of three doubles matches. The teams then send six players to compete against each other in individual matches that are worth one point apiece.
The winner of the doubles point secures a big advantage in winning the match and often carries that momentum into singles play. McKenna said earning the doubles point is one the most important things the team can do to set the tone.
The match will take place at the Linda Estes Tennis Center on Friday at noon. The venue is located near the southwest corner of University Stadium. New Mexico will stay home and take on Utah next weekend.
Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, tennis, and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
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