GCU faces Utah State in midweek match

Tuesday, March 9

Phoenix, Ariz.

11 a.m.

Grand Canyon

Utah State

3/8/2021 2:28:00 PM | Men's Tennis

Lopes compete at home for 4 of next 6 matches

By: Jerob Moon


Grand Canyon Lopes (1-8)	vs.	Utah State Aggies (6-3)

The Grand Canyon men's tennis team will kick off a home-heavy part of the schedule with Utah State on Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the GCU Tennis Facility. The Lopes will be at home for four of the next six matches.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW

SINGLES SUCCESS: In their past two singles matches, sophomore Mariano Argote and freshman Jiri Novak have found success at the Nos. 3 and 4 positions. Argote and Novak won their past two singles matches against Sacramento State and New Mexico. With a 6-1, 6-3 win against the Lobos, Novak earned WAC Singles Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career.
FOUR AWAY: Senior Valentin Lang not only clinched the win for the Lopes against Sacramento State with a straight-set win at No. 1 on Feb. 20, he also won his 45th career singles match. Lang sits just four wins away from tying former teammate and fellow countryman Mathieu Rajaonah for the third-most singles wins in the GCU Division I era.
HOME-HEAVY MARCH: The GCU home match against Utah State will kick off a busy March schedule, including four matches at home. A road trip to Cal Poly with matches against the Mustangs and Gonzaga will break up a four-match home set for the Lopes. GCU will also face Idaho State on March 23, along with a WAC pod against New Mexico State and Chicago State on March 26 and 28.

SCOUTING

Utah State has been strong this season with a 6-3 record. Most recently, the Aggies lost at Utah and won at Northern Arizona. Utah State was scheduled to play fellow WAC school Seattle U early in the season on Feb. 6 but the match was canceled. In their match against NAU on Monday, the Aggies lost the doubles point but came back to win four singles matches to win 4-3.

Sophomore Javier Ruiz has been rock solid for the Aggies in singles, leading the team with a 7-2 record at Nos. 4 and 5. In doubles, the team has used six different pairings with Ruiz and Felipe Acosta leading the team with a 4-5 record at No. 1. USU last won a doubles point in a 4-3 win over BYU on Feb. 27.