Tennis looks to win at home for the first time in 11 years.
After clinching a share of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) regular season title, men’s tennis will host the conference tournament while being undefeated at home this season. The men’s tennis team will now have the chance to claim the tournament championship in Fresno for the first time in 11 years.
“It feels good just to host it for the community,” head coach Jay Udwadia said. “Hopefully there will be a lot of people out to support and give a good go at the tournament.”
With the tournament being free to students, they will have the chance to see the Bulldog tennis team that is 12-0 at home this season and make a run at the conference title.
“Going into the WAC knowing we haven’t lost a game at home, we hope we can just keep that going,” sophomore Hugo Verdi Fortin said.
The WAC tournament is also the last set of matches at home for three seniors; Taylor Leiby, Tejesvi Veerepalli and Mirko Zapletal to show what they have got in front of a home crowd.
“They are all feeling great about it, we have won four in a row and having the chance to play the WAC championship at home and a chance to win it like this. It definitely means a lot to them,” Udwadia said.
The goal for the regular season champs for the WAC tournament is simple.
“Just win the WAC,” Fortin said.
The Bulldogs are ranked second in the WAC tournament and will either take on No. 3 Boise State or No. 6 New Mexico State on Saturday at 2 p.m.
The team is currently ranked 29th in the nation and have a high enough seed to get into the NCAA tournament bracket, but want to finish WAC play strong to keep the momentum going into postseason play.