Teams: UC Davis vs. UC San Diego
Records: Aggies 1-4; Tritons 1-0
Where: The Marya Welch Tennis Center – Davis, Calif.
When: Sunday at 11 a.m.
Who to Watch: Sidney Brady, from Granite Bay, Calif. was the only Aggie to register a win last Friday against Sacramento State.
She defeated Milica Zivanovic by a 7-6, 6-1 score.
Did you Know? UC Davis has not lost to UC San Diego since Feb. 13, 2005 when the Aggies fell 5-4 in a tiebreaker. The Aggies defeated the Tritons 6-1 in last season’s matchup.
Preview: UC Davis has defeated UC San Diego over the past few years. The Tritons, however, always make the Aggies fight for every last point.
Coach Bill Maze believes Sunday’s matchup will not stray from that norm.
“They’re very well coached,” Maze said. “They play the percentages and make you earn your victories.”
The Aggies are coming off a tough 6-1 loss to the San Francisco Dons last Friday. Yet Maze feels that dwelling on past defeats does nothing but disrupt a team’s mental focus.
“It shouldn’t matter what has happened previously,” Maze said. “It’s all about enjoying the process [of improvement] in tennis.”
This matchup with UC San Diego is UC Davis’ last home match until it plays San Jose State in March.
Maze hopes the home court will boost the team’s focus enough to earn both the second win at home and in the season.
“It would be nice to win, even more so at home,” Maze said. “Hopefully, it will be a confidence builder.”
The Aggies continue to stress the concept of team play rather than single out an individual’s match.
Maze feels this will ensure the team performs solidly in all matches instead of relying on a single player.
With the way the Tritons have fought in the past, the Aggies will need every ounce of team effort to notch another win.
“The team has to be ready to gut it out,” Maze said.
– Marcos Rodriguez
