Women's tennis conference battles are in plentiful supply this weekend with seven contests on the docket. On the men's side, only one league contest is on the schedule, but it's a big one as Central Coast rivals Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara square off.
NOTEWORTHY
Weekend Conference Matches Take Center Stage
A total of seven Big West women’s tennis conference matches are on tap this weekend as the battle for the regular season championship intensifies. Long Beach State leads the women’s standings with a 3-0 league record and hosts UC Davis on Saturday looking to stay undefeated. The 49ers are being chased by Cal Poly and UC Santa Barbara, two schools which play each other on Friday in San Luis Obispo. The Mustangs have equalled Long Beach State for best overall record (7-2) in the Big West. Cal Poly also hosts Pacific on Sunday. That match features two ranked players in singles - No. 73 Jenifer Widjaja of Pacific and No. 93 Suzie Matzenauer of Cal Poly.
UC Irvine hosts UC Riverside and Cal State Northridge in an attempt to remain a contender in the Big West race. Pacific travels to UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis treks to UC Riverside to round out conference play this week.
Light Men’s Schedule This Week
A light schedule of competition on the men’s tennis slate is monopolized by Pacific’s trip to Sin City to take part in the Las Vegas Tournament. The Tigers face Marquette, UNLV and Hawai’i in three of the five contests on the Big West ledger. Pacific split a pair of important Big West matches last week, losing to UC Santa Barbara and defeating Cal Poly.
The marquee match of the week pits rivals UC Santa Barbara and Cal Poly against one another. The Big West foes battled back and forth in last year’s matchup, won by the Mustangs 4-3 in Santa Barbara. UCSB actually concludes its Big West portion of the schedule with this match, and a win would put the Gauchos in waiting mode to see whether they will win the title. A win would increase UCSB’s league record to 4-1, but UC Irvine still has four league matches remaining. The Anteaters won their only Big West match played on Feb. 14 against none other than UCSB. UCI can finish league play undefeated and win the title by winning its remaining Big West matches. The ‘Eaters play three of those matches in April.
In The Rankings
The latest edition of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings has five Big West teams rated among the nation’s best on the men’s and women’s side. The Long Beach State women are ranked No. 46, followed by No. 64 UC Irvine and No. 71 Cal Poly. The Mustang women enter the poll for the first time this season. On the men’s side, UC Irvine is No. 51 and UC Santa Barbara No. 72.
Indian Wells To Host Big West Tennis Championships
For the seventh straight year, Indian Wells Tennis Garden is hosting the Big West Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championship. One of the most prestigious facilities in the United States, Indian Wells will host the six men’s and nine women’s teams from April 29-May 2. The Long Beach State women and UC Santa Barbara men took home the 2009 crowns. The 49ers have won all six previous years the championship has been in Indian Wells, while the Gauchos have captured four straight titles on the men’s side.