Teams: UC Davis vs. Loyola Marymount; San Francisco
Records: Aggies, 4-3; Lions, 0-3; Dons, 2-3
Where: Marya Welch Tennis Center – Davis, Calif.
When: Friday, at 1:30 p.m.; Saturday at noon
Who to watch: It has been a tough season thus far for junior Nick Lopez, but if anyone can take the pressure he can.
The Orinda, Calif. native has played in every contest at the No. 1 slot in singles and most of the opponents he has faced have been international players.
“He has played a lot of good players,” said coach Daryl Lee. “His margin-of-error is very small.”
Did you know: The last time the Aggies and Lions matched up was on Apr. 9, 2006. Loyola Marymount dominated, defeating UC Davis 6-1.
Preview: With the weather being as comfortable as it has been in months, UC Davis’ much anticipated home opener finally takes place this Friday.
The Aggies should be well rested. They had the three-day weekend off after playing in three contests the weekend before.
Lee feels the time off has helped his team relax, especially after the intense weekend beforehand.
The break ends with their match against Loyola Marymount, a team UC Davis hasn’t played in four years.
“The newness is something that can be motivating,” Lee said. “They’re going to be a big challenge for our team.”
While the Aggies are somewhat unfamiliar with the Lions, they fell to the Dons last year in San Francisco.
Lee likes to look back at previous contests to see where the team can improve. However, he doesn’t think it plays a factor into this contest.
“It’s going to be different than last year,” he said. “There are different opponents because of the moving around in the ladder.”
In essence, this weekend is sure to be full of exciting matches and challenging opponents. These two contests are the first at home for UC Davis in 10 months.
Everyone is highly encouraged to come and cheer for the Aggies. The match begins at 1:30 p.m. on Friday.
– Zander Wold
Correction. The Lions are now 0-5