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| Senior Natalia Salum. Photo by: Zack Ponce |
The New Mexico State women’s tennis team enters the 2012
Western Athletic Conference Tournament having won four of its last six regular
season matches.
In addition to going into the tournament with momentum, the
Aggies are hopeful being the host school will provide a competitive advantage over
their opponents.
“It’s better for us because we get to sleep in our own beds,
play in our own facility and not have to adjust to altitude or time changes,”
said NMSU women’s tennis coach Ivan Fernandez. “That definitely gives us a
little bit of an advantage as far as being a little bit better rested and
prepared for the conditions here at NMSU and in Las Cruces, so we like our
chances.”
NMSU finished the regular season fourth in the conference
standings with an 11-7 overall record and a 1-2 mark in WAC play. The Aggies
are anchored by senior co-captains Natailia Salum and Manon Sylvain.
Although
there are a few pre-tournament jitters, Fernandez said the team is excited to
be hosting the tournament and ready to compete.
“As always it’s a little nerve-wracking going into the
championships knowing that whoever wins gets an NCAA bid, but they’re excited
and they’re pumped up,” Fernandez said. “The two seniors are seeing the light
of the end of the tunnel knowing this is their last few matches in an Aggie
uniform, so they’re excited and ready to play hard.”
The tournament field features two teams ranked in the top
50, which means the Aggies will need consistent play over the next four days to
make a run at the championship.
The No. 48 ranked Fresno State Bulldogs finished atop the
WAC and earned the top seed in the tournament.
The Bulldogs are led by sophomore Marianne Jodoin, who was named WAC
Player of the Year last year as a freshman.
Hawaii is ranked No. 58 in the country. Senior Barbara
Pinterova plays in the No. 1 slot for the Wahine, while Jamie Pawid holds down
the No. 2 spot. Pinterova and Pawid switched slots early in the season, and
both players have benefited from the change.
San Jose State compiled a 12-match win streak midway through
the season, which included a 4-3 home win over NMSU. However, the Spartans dropped
three straight matches to end the regular season.
Those are the three teams ahead of NMSU in the tournament
seeding. Ending the season on a high note and being the host school for the
tournament are certainly advantages for the Aggies heading into the tournament.
However, consistency will be the key that opens the door to the NCAA Tournament
for the Aggies.
“We really need to have everybody play good matches every
day,” Fernandez said. “It’s a lot to ask for when you have six girls out there
at the same time, but in order to compete with these good teams, we have to
have a good day from every single one of the girls on the team. If they can all
come out and give it everything they have, I know the matches will go our way.”
Thursday, April 26
Women’s Quarterfinals
Match 1 - No. 1 Fresno State vs. No. 8 Louisiana Tech, 9 a.m.
Match 2 - No. 4 New Mexico State vs. No. 5 San Jose State, noon
Match 3 - No. 3 Idaho vs. No. 6 Utah State, 9 a.m.
Match 4 - No. 2 Hawai‘i vs. No. 7 Nevada, noon
Friday, April 27
Men’s Quarterfinals
Match 1 - No. 4 New Mexico State vs. No. 5 Nevada, 9 a.m.
Match 2 - No. 3 Hawai‘i vs. No. 6 Utah State, noon
Women’s Semifinals
Match 5 - Winner Match 1 vs. Winner Match 2, 9 a.m.
Match 6 - Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, noon
Saturday, April 28
Women’s Championship
Match 7 - Winner Match 5 vs. Winner Match 6, 10 a.m.
Men’s Semifinals
Match 3 - No. 1 Fresno State vs. Winner Match 1, 1 p.m.
Match 4 - No. 2 Idaho vs. Winner Match 2, 1 p.m.
Sunday, April 29
Men’s Championship
Match 5 - Winner Match 3 vs. Winner Match 4, 10 a.m.
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