BYU Men's Tennis Set To Start 2007 Season

PROVO -- The BYU men's tennis team is set to kick off its 2007 season against in-state rival Weber State at home Saturday, Jan. 13 at noon on the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts in Provo. The Cougars begin the regular season with a No. 73 national ranking and a No. 2 regional ranking.

"Weber State has some dangerous players at the top of the line-up," BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. " It is a good match to start the season. They are definitely a team that can be dangerous if we take them too lightly."

Kaufhold, the newly-named team captain, and Ludlow will be seeking revenge from the top Wildcat-doubles team of Sascha Kienhe and Fabio Mancarella who beat Ludlow and Kaufhold in the semifinal match of the BYU Fall Classic in September.

Probable starters in no specific order for the Cougars include Ludlow, Kaufhold, Chip Hand, Jonathan Sanchez, Cassidy Mears and Cale Planck. The doubles teams will likely be Ludlow/Kaufhold, Hand/Sanchez and Mears/Planck in no specific order.

"The players have done a great job during the fall season," Pearce said. "We have good talent, and we are deep. Competition for every lineup position is going to be tight throughout the year, and we should be strong at each position. We're good enough and deep enough, with a little 'magic', to do something special this year. I can't wait to see what happens from my front-row seat; it's up to them!"

The BYU Indoor Tennis Facility is located on the Brigham Young University campus, directly south of the Smith Fieldhouse and directly east of the soccer field. Admission to the match is free and all BYU parking is open to the public on Saturdays.