Cougars host Aggies and Wildcats in season opener

PROVO, Utah--The No. 45 BYU men’s tennis team will host Utah State and Weber State to open the season on Saturday at 12 p.m. and 5:30 p.m., respectively, at the Indoor Tennis Courts.

 

The Cougars are 49-0 all-time against the Aggies and also own the record in meetings with the Wildcats with a 59-5 advantage. 

 

“We have eight freshmen--four of whom just joined us this semester, two sophomores and a junior,” BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. “Obviously, we have a young team, but we’ve been working hard to get ready for our matches this weekend, along with a very tough schedule and season that lies ahead.”

 

BYU looks to come out strong this season and make it back to the NCAA tournament for a fourth time in the past five years, but the Cougars will have a different look in 2014 with players from all over the world.  The motto “the world is our campus” fits for this year’s team as the roster includes players from Australia, England, Mexico, Russia, South Africa and the United States, but the story will be how the youth of the Cougars pulls together. 

 

“We’ve made great progress already,” Pearce said. “We just need to keep working, keep improving, and relentlessly pursue our goals through our established processes. Everything else will take care of itself. I’m excited for this Saturday to see where we’re at.”

 

Leading the team will be junior Francis Sargeant of the United Kingdom. The captain went 29-10 as a sophomore and posted an 11-5 mark during the recent fall season, resulting in a No. 8 singles Mountain Region ranking. 

 

Also leading the Cougars will be sophomore Andrey Goryachkov of Russia, who posted a 9-5 record in the fall and an 8-2 doubles record while teaming up with Sargeant, which was good enough for a No. 5 Mountain Region ranking. 

 

Admission to both of the matches is free. Those in their seats prior to the start of the matches will receive a ticket for a drawing to win a racket and other prizes, including a signed Jimmer ball.