March 16, 2016
Upcoming match: #73 San José State (6-3, 0-0 MW) vs. #34 Denver (11-2)
Date: Thursday, March 17
Time: 1:00 p.m. PT
Location: Spartan Courts (San Jose, Calif.)
Upcoming match: #73 San José State (6-3, 0-0 MW) vs. Idaho (9-6, 4-1 Big Sky)
Date: Sunday, March 20
Time: 12:00 p.m. PT
Location: Spartan Courts (San Jose, Calif.)
SAN JOSE, Calif. – After two and a half weeks off thanks to a pair of rained-out matches, San José State’s women’s tennis team returns to the courts this week to host No. 34 Denver and Idaho on Thursday and Sunday, respectively.
The Spartans (6-3) have not yet played played a match in the month of March after having home contests against Pacific (3/5) and UC Santa Barbara (3/6) postponed. They were last in action February 26-28, when they went 2-1 against No. 39 South Alabama, UC Davis and Pacific.
On paper, No. 34 Denver (11-2) represents one of the biggest challenges San José State will face this season. The Pioneers rattled off a six-match win streak early in the season and bring a four-match streak into Thursday. Five of their 11 wins have been by a 4-3 margin, highlighted by victories at Kansas and Kansas State the first weekend of March. Julia O’Loughlin and Evy Van Genechten have posted 11-1 singles record thus far, with all of O’Loughlin’s coming at the top spot in the lineup.
Idaho (9-6, 4-1 Big Sky) enters Sunday’s match coming off a 4-3 loss to Nevada. The Vandals have won four of their last five matches dating back to February 13 against UNLV. They are led by Marianna Petrei, who has gone 11-2 so far at the top of the Idaho singles lineup. In doubles action, the tandem of Rita Bermudez and Maria Tavares has held down the No. 2 doubles spot all spring and gone 10-3 along the way.