Teams: UC Davis vs. San Jose State; vs. Portland State
Records: Aggies, 3-7; Spartans, 5-1; Vikings, 2-9
Where: Marya Welch Tennis Center
When: Thursday 1:30 pm; Friday 1:30 pm
Who to watch: Junior Sidney Brady missed UC Davis’s last two matches because of an illness.
The Granite Bay, Calif. native leads the team with four singles wins in just seven matches.
Did you know? Junior Shawdee Rouhafza won her first singles match in her first start of season when she defeated her UC Riverside opponent 6-3, 7-6.
Preview: The Aggies feel that the worst is behind them.
This does not mean that earning wins are any less important.
With a 1-3 record in the Big West Conference, the Aggies begin a seven-game home stand starting Thursday against San Jose State.
Coach Bill Maze said the best way to fight tired legs late in the season is by having a road less traveled.
“We are looking forward to the home stand in terms of fatigue,” Maze said. “I think the schedule was tough early, but now we are going in as the favored team. We are looking forward to it.”
UC Davis is familiar with their two opponents from last year as they beat the Spartans and the Vikings 7-0 and 5-2, respectively.
The Aggies are expected to have Brady back in the lineup for both matches, but the injury to senior Desiree Stone remains a question mark heading into Thursday.
“She didn’t practice (Wednesday), so we will make a decision on Thursday.” Maze said. “It’s tough to deal with rust, but she is pretty good without hitting many balls.”
It will be important UC Davis to remain healthy during this key stretch if they hope to have success in the Big West Tournament.
“We’ll just stay positive and believe in ourselves” Maze said. “I think our team can do well in the Big West.”
– Marcos Rodriguez
