Men’s and Women’s Tennis Look to Remain Undefeated at ITA
January 25, 2020
The University of Utah men’s and women’s tennis teams look to remain perfect as they each hit the road this week. Last week treated them both well. The men’s team went 2-0 at home, defeating the University of Idaho Vandals 7-0 and Weber State Wildcats 5-2. The women were victorious three times on the road in Missoula, Montana, defeating the University of Montana twice 4-0 and the University of Minnesota in a 4-3 nail bitter.
This week, the men’s team will travel to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) Kickoff. Their first match will be at 11 a.m. on Saturday against Tulsa (4-0), who has come off of four straight wins, including back-to-back matches against Bryant University (3-5). The Utes and ‘Canes have never faced off before, so both the schools’ undefeated season records and head-to-head matchup record will be on the line.
Following the matchup against Tulsa, the Utes will then face either Purdue University (1-2) or the Ohio State University (3-0) depending on the outcome of the initial matches. The game will take place on Sunday, but the time is yet to be determined.
Utah has never faced Purdue, but they faced Ohio State just once back in January 2017 and lost that match 0-4. Given the opportunity, Utah will be looking to maintain their current undefeated season and also level that head-to-head series 1-1 if they end up playing Ohio State.
The women’s team will also participate in the ITA Kickoff as they travel to Ann Arbor, Michigan to play the No. 12 University of Central Florida (1-0). UCF was dominant with their victory this last weekend over Cornell (0-3). It was a merciless performance, as UCF won 7-0 and did not lose a single match to their opponent. The game will be played on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Depending on the outcomes, the Utes will then play either the University of Mississippi (2-0) or the University of Michigan (0-0). Utah has never played Michigan, and they have not seen Ole Miss in over a decade, dating back to March 2009, where the Rebels won 4-0.
The Utes will have their work cut out for them as both teams look to defend their undefeated records and advance with a victory against a new opponent. Both the men’s and women’s teams hope to remain undefeated in their current campaigns and, if provided the opportunity, will want to tie up those old head-to-head matchup records.
