Men's tennis opens at home against USU and WSU

PROVO, Utah – BYU men’s tennis begins its regular season Saturday, hosting a doubleheader in Provo. The Cougars face off against Utah State at 11 a.m. MST and will play Weber State at 5:30 p.m.

“We’re excited to start our season with two solid opponents in Utah State and Weber State,” BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. “Playing a doubleheader has its challenges but we are prepared.”

The Cougars are led by captain Francis Sargeant, the lone senior on the team. Sargeant was ranked No. 104 nationally in the preseason and enters the regular season No. 8 on the BYU all-time singles victories list. Junior Andrey Goryachkov joins Sargeant as the only upperclassmen on the squad.

The Cougars also boast a talented group of freshmen heading into the regular season.  Tennis Recruiting Network ranked the incoming class of freshmen as the No. 1 mid-major recruiting class in the country and the No. 20 class amongst all powerhouse conferences.

Freshman Shane Monroe burst on to the scene during fall tournaments, winning the Utah Invitational and reaching the finals of the BYU Tournament. David Ball and Victor Brown round out the freshman class.

Sophomores Aidan Carrazedo, Jacob Sullivan, Jeremy Bourgeois, Juan Canales and Robin Pfister complete this year’s team. The five sophomores all played in significant matches as freshmen and bring an entire year of experience to a team poised for a great season.

The Saturday matches held in the indoor tennis courts are free to the public and pizza will be provided for spectators.

“I’m hoping for a good turnout so people can see the incredible athleticism, skill and passion our players have,” Pearce said. “If they come to one match, I can guarantee they’ll be hooked for the entire season.”