Final Home Weekend Awaits Men's Tennis Seniors

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — Aram Noroozian is back just in time for Senior Day weekend, and now the Lobo men’s tennis team, ranked No. 74, has to recover from a pair of 4-3 losses including a conference loss to Air Force, to try to make a run at a Mountain West title.  That run starts with the final two home matches of the season as UNM hosts San DIego State, set for a 1 pm start on Friday, and UNLV at 11 am on Sunday, which is Senior Day.

The match of Sunday is the opening leg of UNM’s “Block Party” promotion as men’s tennis, baseball and softball will all be playing at the same time. Fans arriving prior to the match will be able to watch UNM’s Senior Day ceremonies.  Children are free on Sunday and fans of men’s tennis need to be in the gates by 11 am to avoid needing a paid ticket.

Friday’s match is the back end of a doubleheader with women’s tennis, which is hosting its Senior Day on Friday at 10:30 am.  The 1 pm match may start later should the women’s tennis match run long.

The Lobos are 10-7 overall and 1-1 in the Mountain West, but can still take the league title with wins in its last four matches.  That starts on Friday with San Diego State which enters the match at 8-10 and 1-2 in conference play.  Sunday’s match is with rival UNLV, which is currently 6-9 overall and 0-3 in the league.  UNM’s final two matches are against the two teams ahead in the standings, at second place Utah State (12-7/3-1 MW, match on Thursday, 4/17) and at first place No. 42 Boise State (17-4/3-0 MW, match on Saturday, 4/19).

The Lobos missed Aram Noroozian in falling 4-3 to both Air Force and Denver on the road.  The loss to Air Force ended a 25-match winning streak against the Falcons, and UNM had Denver down 5-3 in the final set of a 3-3 match, but couldn’t close the deal.

The weekend marks the final home matches for newcomer Aditya Balsekar, Daniil Kakhniuk, Noroozian and Georgio Samaha.  Noroozian and Samaha are climbing the all-time wins list, and but Kakhniuk and Balsekar have played well in leading UNM to a national ranking.