ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – The No. 44 University of New Mexico men’s tennis team is diving into Mountain West Conference action this weekend with a home match against Fresno State on Friday and a road match against Nevada on Sunday.
“This is a big weekend for us,” interim head coach Bart Scott said. “We are kicking off conference play at home and we’re playing a very dangerous team in Fresno State. We are all aware of the danger that they present and we’ve been practicing really hard to make sure we are ready to go.”
Weekend Schedule:
New Mexico vs Fresno State – 1 p.m. MT – McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium
Live scoring: lobos.statbroadcast.com
New Mexico @ Nevada – 11 a.m. PT – Reno, Nevada – Caughlin Club
Live scoring: nevadastats.com
No. 44 New Mexico (12-8, 0-0 MW)
The Lobos had a challenging non-conference season as they played seven matches against ranked teams including Oklahoma (who is now No. 1 in ITA rankings) and TCU (who is now No. 10 in ITA rankings). UNM faired well in its tough non-conference stretch claiming a 12-8 overall record; 4-0 at home; 3-5 away; 5-3 neutral; and 3-4 against ranked opponents. However the Lobos aren’t completely finished with non-conference action as they will sneak in a match against Denver in April.
The Lobos’ most recent victory is a 4-0 sweep of the BYU Cougars.
Fresno State (9-6, 0-1 MW)
The Bulldogs are currently riding a three-match winning streak as they recently picked up wins over UW Green Bay, Navy, and Arizona. Fresno State dropped a 4-1 match to Utah State earlier this month putting them at 0-1 in MW play.
Nevada (5-8, 0-0 MW)
The Wolf Pack recently dropped a 7-0 match to Stanford, however they claimed four consecutive wins before picking up that loss. Nevada has a long week ahead as they will face California and Air Force before hosting UNM on Sunday.
“Nevada is another one of those dangerous teams that have been in and out of the top 75 a few times this year,” Scott said. “We’re excited for the challenge.”
2015 Mountain West Conference
The Lobos’ conference stretch is going to be just as challenging as the MW league is currently packed with plenty of talent and a lot of hungry teams. Utah State currently leads the conference with a 2-0 MW record, San Diego State (1-1 in MW) holds the highest ITA ranking coming in at No. 35, and Boise State will of course be battling to claim its fourth straight MW championship title.
However Scott is hoping that the Lobos’ tough non-conference schedule has prepared them for this feisty MW league.
“We have played one of, if not the toughest, schedules in our conference and that will no doubt help us as we take on the rest of the teams in our challenging conference,” Scott said. “SDSU is the highest ranked team in the conference and they are having a really solid year. Utah State has announced themselves this season and they are getting better each week. Boise State is always tough. You can’t ever take your eye off the three-time defending MW champions. Then you have Fresno State, who on paper is as talented as any team in the league. Nevada is always hungry as well. UNLV is ranked again and on a roll. We have had some fantastic matches over the years with them and I’m sure this year’s battle will be no exception. Then, as always you have Air Force who is tough as nails and lays it on the line every time they take the court.”
Current MW Standings:
Utah State (14-6, 2-0 MW)
No. 35 San Diego State (12-5, 1-1 MW)
Boise State (6-11, 1-1 MW)
Air Force (10-4, 0-0 MW)
No. 44 New Mexico (12-8, 0-0 MW)
Nevada (5-8, 0-0 MW)
UNLV (9-5, 0-1 MW)
Fresno State (9-6, 0-1 MW)
While the Lobos have a long road ahead, they can look forward to the fact that they get to play host to the 2015 Mountain West Championships April 23-26 at the McKinnon Family Tennis Stadium.
“There will be no easy outs this year,” Scott said. “It should be highly competitive and really exciting.”
Follow the UNM men’s tennis social media accounts for updates throughout the Lobos’ conference season:
Twitter: @UNMMenTennis | Facebook: Facebook.com/UNM.Men.Tennis