Teams: UC Davis at Saint Mary’s
Records: Aggies, 4-7; Gaels, 1-9
Where: Timothy Korth Tennis Complex – Moraga, Calif.
When: Saturday at noon
Who to watch: Senior Nic Amaroli has a special role on the team.
He is the only doubles competitor that is not also normally a singles competitor.
“Nic is a very capable doubles player,” said coach Daryl Lee. “He is an important part of the team.”
Did you know: These two teams have faced each other five times throughout the last six years. The Gaels won all five of those contests.
Preview: Saturday contains only one of many contests in the Aggies’ schedule, but this one may be the most important of the season.
With the Aggies in the midst of a five-contest losing streak, they need a win because Saturday’s match is the last until the end of the month due to the quarter coming to an end.
With the five-contest losing streak and the long break ahead, the Aggies face a must-win against the Gaels to gain momentum and brighten their spirits.
“Losing gets frustrating and discouraging,” Lee said. “We are trying to regain the fighting spirit.”
That fighting spirit has seemed to fade away since UC Davis got off to a hot start this season as the Aggies started the season 4-2 before the losing streak began.
Despite all the tough luck the team has had of late, there are still a few areas where the team has improved and others where a bright future lies ahead.
One area in which the Aggies have shown improvement is in doubles play. The duo of Nick Lopez and Hunter Lee won both matches last weekend.
Another pair that has had a good season is Amaroli and Tyler Lee. Coach Lee sees Amaroli as a true leader and a great player.
“[Amaroli] has got good hands at the net,” coach Lee said. “He can be a leader in doubles and really set the standard.”
Another bright spot for UC Davis is freshman Toki Sherbakov, who is 7-3 overall.
“Toki’s will is so strong, he just won’t allow negative emotion to cluster,” Lee said. “He channels that emotion into tennis playing.”
– Zander Wold
