STOCKTON, Calif. – The No. 45 University of New Mexico men’s tennis team is headed to Stockton, Calif. to co-host the 2015 Mountain Pacific Invitational with the the University of Pacific Feb. 27-March 1 at the Hal Nelson Tennis Courts.
“I’m really excited about this event,” interim head coach Bart Scott said. “Coach Redondo and I were talking a few summers ago about starting a new collegiate invitational and growing it into one of the best events in the country and now here we are.”
The Lobos (6-6) are teaming up with the Tigers to put on the event that will feature a total of eight teams including UNM, Pacific, Grand Canyon, No. 71 Cal Poly, Fresno State, Hawai’i, San Francisco, and Idaho.
Each team is guaranteed a total of three matches. Every participating team will play two matches on Friday and one match on Sunday. The Lobos are competing in the Orange Pool along with Pacific, Grand Canyon, and Cal Poly. UNM will face Pacific in its first match on Friday at 11:30 a.m. PT.
“The tournament is strong as all the teams in the event are dangerous,” Scott said. “We’re excited and ready for the challenge. Conference foe Fresno State will be there as well as two teams we’ve already faced in Cal Poly and San Francisco. This kind of tournament early in the season is just what we need as we continue to prepare for our tough conference season and tournament.”
On Sunday, the pools will integrate and UNM will square off against either San Francisco, Fresno State, Hawai’i, or Idaho.
“It’s obviously in its infancy, but we will look to grow it and make improvements year after year,” Scott added.
Next year the Mountain Pacific Invitational will be played on the Lobos’ home turf at the McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium.
A full recap and results will be posted on golobos.com and on the men’s tennis social media pages:
Twitter: @UNMMenTennis | Facebook: Facebook.com/UNM.Men.Tennis
Tournament Website:
http://www.pacifictigers.com/sports/m-tennis/2014-15/Tournament