Aggie men look to scratch past Bobcats
Out of action since a 6-1 loss to the University of Utah Jan. 26, the Utah State University men’s tennis team will return to action in a big way, playing three matches in three days, starting Friday against Montana State University in Bozeman, Mont.
The Aggies and Bobcats will face off at 1 p.m. in a matchup of teams that split its season series last year. Play will resume Saturday when the Aggies face the University of Montana at 1 p.m. in Bozeman.
USU will conclude its road trip when it takes on Big West Conference foe the University of Idaho Vandals Sunday at 8 a.m. in Moscow, Idaho.
“If we go out there with the right mindset, we have a chance to beat anybody we play,” Head Coach Chris Wright said. “I anticipate all of our matches of being hard-fought ones.”
Hard fought are appropriate words when describing USU’s recent history with MSU, Montana and Idaho. USU played MSU twice last year, dropping a 4-3 decision to the Bobcats in Logan before exacting revenge with a 5-2 victory in Honolulu, Hawaii.
In their matches against the Grizzlies and Vandals, the Aggies either won or lost in the decisive match, defeating Montana 4-3, while dropping a heartbreaker to Idaho by the same score.
In order for the Aggies to break their early season habit of dropping close matches, Wright said the team needs to pick its spots to be aggressive. It is when the Aggies try to overpower their opponents they get in trouble, he said.
“Until the big wins come, we have to gain the confidence from the previous matches,” Wright said.
One Aggie who has enjoyed early-season success is sophomore Jason Trask. The No. 5 singles player is a perfect 3-0, and gives his opponents fits with his court speed and lateral movement, Wright said.
“He’s the kind of player you like to have on your team,” Wright said. “His game is getting more offensive this year. I just hope he finds the right balance [between being aggressive and being a counter-puncher].”
While the Aggies are playing three matches on successive days for the first time this season, it is nothing new to the team, Wright said. USU frequently schedules similar road trips in an effort to be cost-effective, he said.
“We are usually hurting pretty badly at the end of the week,” he said.