Teams: UC Davis at Arizona, Arizona State
Records: Aggies, 0-0; Wildcats, 0-0; Sun Devils,
Where: LaNelle Robson Tennis Center – Tucson, Ariz.; Whiteman Tennis Center – Tempe, Ariz.
When: Friday at 12:30 p.m.; Saturday at 11 a.m.
Who to watch: Sidney Brady and Noelle Eades each won their consolation singles matches in the ITA Northwest Regional Championships the last time UC Davis took the court.
Brady defeated Sandra Florea of San Jose State, 6-2, 2-0, while Eades won her singles match against USF’s Andrea Gaitan, 6-4, 3-6, 1-0.
They were the only two Aggies that registered wins in the singles competition last October.
Did you know? Dahra Zamudio is the only player on the roster to be named an All-Big West Conference second-teamer in singles as a freshman. Desiree Stone shared the same honor as a sophomore.
Preview: Although the general assumption is that tennis represents a sport of individual performances, Aggies’ coach Bill Maze provides a contrasting view.
Maze believes the team’s success in the second part of the season is dependent on a collective effort.
“They all contribute,” he said. “The value is the same for every match. We can do well in every spot.”
Zamudio has made significant contributions to the team as a singles player, regardless of her spot in the lineup.
The Orange, Calif. native advanced past the first two rounds of the ITA Northwest Regional Championships before losing to Saint Mary’s Alex Poorta in the round of 32.
The Aggies have used the winter break to reexamine team goals and how they plan to achieve them.
“We want to maintain good attitude and effort throughout the year,” Maze said. “We feel it’s the best way to achieve our goal.”
Maze and his Aggies are aiming to win four of their eight conference events on the spring schedule.
UC Davis doesn’t compete in a conference event until Feb. 27, but it will face some talented Pacific-10 Conference teams in Arizona and Arizona State to open the second half of the season on this weekend.
“We just need to stick to having the same attitude,” Maze said. “It’s always fun playing Pac-10 schools.”
– Marcos Rodriguez
