Nearly three full months into the season, the New Mexico men’s and women’s tennis teams will get a chance to see each other play as both squads compete in Albuquerque on the same weekend for the first time in 2016.
Women’s head coach Kelcy McKenna said the team is excited to return home after enduring a six-match road trip in which the team went 2-4. She said the team has continued to get better as the season has progressed.
“We’re definitely improving,” she said. “Sometimes the best lessons come from those (times) where we aren’t successful.”
The men and women squads are very close with each other, and it’s common for them to show up and root for their teammates. McKenna said the players on the team are looking forward to finally playing on the same court Friday, when her women’s team will start things off.
Friday’s 4 p.m. match against Colorado State marks the women’s conference home opener. The Lobos boast a 7-6 record on the season and will try to protect its perfect record at home against the Rams, which are looking to snap a seven-match losing streak away from home.
The match will also mark the team’s second annual UNM Faculty & Staff Appreciation Day. Faculty and staff in attendance will receive free food, coffee and an opportunity to score some raffle prizes in an expression of the team’s appreciation for the support.
The men’s team, also undefeated at home, takes on Utah State at 6 p.m. The Lobos have fought back from early season struggles to earn a 13-11 record, winning 10 of its last 11 matches.
The teams recently met in the finals of the Mountain-Pacific Invitational, with the Lobos winning 4-1 to take the trophy. Otherwise, the Aggies have won nine of its last 10 matches en route to a 16-6 record on the season.
Men’s head coach Bart Scott said the Mountain-Pacific Invitational marked the start of the championship season. He said the team needs to focus on three things in order to keep improving and be successful moving forward.
“You can impart energy three ways on a tennis court — mentally, physically and vocally,” Scott said. “If we have those forms of energy correct, we’re going to be tough to beat.”
On Sunday, the men will start the action against Boise State at noon. The Broncos, 11-8, enter the weekend on a two-match winning streak and will face Air Force on Friday prior to playing the Lobos.
The women follow with a matchup against Wyoming at 3 p.m. The Cowboys, 7-9, are on a five-match losing skid and also meet Air Force prior to facing the Lobos.
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All matches are scheduled to take place at the McKinnon Family Tennis Center, weather permitting. The venue is located just south of WisePies Arena near the baseball fields.
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.
