Aggie tennis sweeps Grand Canyon, Idaho State
Utah State’s men’s tennis team won a double-header Sunday versus Grand Canyon and Idaho State. USU swept both matches 7-0.
The wins push the Aggies’ record to 4-3, the first time they have had a winning record this season.
“I’m really proud of this team for coming together,” said USU head coach Clancy Shields. “Now we have a winning record, and that feels good.”
Grand Canyon was expected to be a tough opponent, but Shields felt his team played some of their best tennis of the season in order to claim a victory.
“They’re definitely the best team in the WAC,” Shields said. “I was very nervous, but the guys keep proving me wrong and showing me how good we can possibly be. These (double-headers) aren’t easy.”
Jaime Barajas was one of the stars for Utah State on Sunday, going 4-0 in his matches.
“I was taking advantage of good opportunities,” Barajas said. “I feel like I started off [the season] a little slow, and now I’m coming back home and it feels amazing to get two wins today in a double header.”
“I think he still has a lot to prove,” Shields said. “I think (he) got sick of losing earlier and this season and he is just really hungry to win.”
As a young team with four freshmen, two sophomores, and two juniors, Shields was pleased with how his team was able to handle themselves in a double-header.
“It’s not easy. The guys are out here for seven or eight hours, and it’s tough on your body,” Shields said. “I didn’t hear a single complaint and any excuses. Some guys got off the court 30 minutes before our second match and just rolled on out and were ready to go. I like the grittiness of our team.”
“The team has been doing really well,” Barajas said. “We’re getting better every single day.”
With such a young team, improvement has been one of the season’s focuses for the Aggies.
“Seventy percent of our team is brand new,” Shields said. “It takes a little bit of time to learn our system and how we operate. Everybody is starting to settle in a little bit and knows what to expect. This is my favorite team I’ve ever coached so far. Really happy with this team regardless of how we do this year.”
The Aggies play again on Friday. They play host to Southern Utah at 11 a.m. and Montana State at 7 p.m. in another double-header at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club.
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Twitter: @DawsonOler