WCC Championships Central
Follow USF Men's Tennis: Facebook | Twitter
SAN DIEGO, Calif. – The San Francisco men's tennis team embarks on its postseason schedule in the West Coast Conference Championships. Despite being slated as the eighth seed in the 2014 West Coast Conference championships, the Dons are prepared to make some waves and march through the bracket.
USF is on a roll to close the season, earning victories in five of its last six matches, including a string of three straight conference wins. USF notched 14 total wins in the spring, matching its final tally from a year ago. Finishing strong is the name of the game in tennis, and head coach Pablo Pires de Almeida recognizes the importance of closing on a high note.
"You've got to peak at the right time," he notes. "There are so many coaches that I think have a good mindset, and the best coaches always have their teams peaking at the right time. I think that our team is doing just that. Now it's time to showcase our team, and I think we have a great opportunity. The guys know it, and they're really looking forward to it."
The Dons face fifth-seeded Loyola Marymount Wednesday at 9 a.m., to begin its trek through the brackets. The match winner will move on to meet up with the victor between No. 4 Santa Clara and No. 9 Saint Mary's Thursday at 9 a.m. With the top two seeds earning double byes, the winner of USF's side of the quarterfinal rounds will then face off with No. 1 San Diego in the semifinals on Friday at 9 a.m. The championship match will be decided Saturday at 9 a.m., from San Diego's Barnes Tennis Center.
Historically, the Dons earned its highest finish in the championships – second place – in 1980 and '81, when the format was open draw. Last season, USF entered the tournament as the No. 5 seed and rose to a third place finish after defeating Loyola Marymount, 4-3, in the first round.
Then, USF took down 4th-seeded Santa Clara, 4-2, in the quarterfinals of action before eventually falling to tournament champion, top-seeded Pepperdine. The Waves are looking to claim its third-consecutive championship title. Pepperdine has only lost one WCC tournament since its format changed to dual match play in 1995.
The Dons are led by All-WCC first team honoree Bernardo Saraiva, playing from the No. 1 singles position. In singles action, Saraiva enters the championship with wins in his last five matches and an 18-7 spring record. Coupled with partner Nils Skajaa, USF's top duo earned second-team All-WCC accolades to lead the team. Also finishing on a high note from No. 1 doubles position, Saraiva and Skajaa are riding six straight victories and a spring mark of 13-7 into the postseason.
But Pires de Almeida expects USF's successes in San Diego to be seen throughout the lineup and down the bench.
"This is a huge opportunity going into the conference tournament right now because from the No.3 team to the No. 10 team, it's kind of up for grabs," he explains. "Going into the conference championships, I really think the team is what's going to achieve. We know who our leaders are in singles and doubles and they've done great things, but I think as a team everybody is really coming together.
"The guys that aren't even playing, the seventh man, they're yelling for us to win as loud as they possibly can, and that's a huge x-factor that our team has over almost every other team in the conference. It's the culture. And I think at the end of the day, that's what gets it done." |
|
