Cougars Back in Action with Utah State

PROVO -- After a three-week break, the No. 67 BYU men's tennis team will be back in action this Friday as they play Utah State at 5 p.m. in Provo.

The Cougars currently have a 5-4 record and are coming off a big win against No. 48 Arizona. The last few weeks have given the Cougars a good chance to rest a little, but head coach Jim Osborne said they are looking to get things underway once again.

"This is always a big match for Utah State," Osborne said. "We are the only ranked team in Utah right now so they are going to be up for this match. They are always a real scrappy team and they always seem to be tough competitors."

With the majority of USU's players being from Utah, Osborne expects a lot of fans at this match.

"Utah State always attracts a big crowd," Osborne said. "I expect a lot of their fans to be there and I know it will be quite loud during the match."

BYU's No. 1 and No. 2 players, Erik Nyman and Carlos Lozano, are only probable for this match. Due to 25-match limit set by the NCAA, the two Cougars are required to sit out this match. Both Lozano and Nyman have already been named MWC Players of the Week this year so their presence in the lineup will be missed.

"Erik and Carlos have already reached the 25-match limit that has been set by the NCAA, so they will need to sit out this week," Osborne said. "They did so well in the fall and qualified for so many tournaments that now they need to sit out for one match."

Osborne thinks that having Nyman and Lozano sit out will give other players on the team a chance to step up and play in a big in-state rival match.

Utah State comes into the match with a 2-6 record. The Aggies played in the BYU Invitational in the fall and had a strong showing.

After this weeks match with Utah State, the BYU men's tennis team will be at home again next Saturday against University of Denver. That match will begin at 11 a.m.