SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. -- The University of San Francisco men's tennis team starts WCC play on Friday, Mar. 23, hosting Pacific at the Olympic Club. The Dons will continue with a matchup against Saint Mary's the next day at the Cal Club. First serves are 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., respectively.
GAME INFORMATION
Friday
Date/Time: Mar. 23, 11 a.m.
Opponent: Pacific
Site: Olympic Club
Saturday
Date/Time: Mar. 24, 1 p.m.
Opponent: Saint Mary's
Site: Cal Club
COACHES CORNER
"We have some good opportunities to take the win in both of these matches and my guys know that. We just have to stay focused on tennis this weekend." — Head coach Pablo Pires de Almeida.
On Pacific:
"Our history with Pacific has been super competitive and [it has] always matched up really well against my guys. We are going into the match knowing that it is going to be really tough. The Dons just have to work hard and stay positive."
On Saint Mary's:
"This is a local rival. We are always trying to go up on those Bay Area rival teams so this is a big one for us. We can't get off to a slow start with Saint Mary's. We have to start fast and keep the momentum going throughout the match."
USF HISTORY
Vs. Pacific:
In the 2016 season, Ryan Marker put up one of the two points in singles when th Dons faced the Tigers, but ultimately fell 5-2. USF had a closer match last season when Oliver Poysti and Johan Joenhagen secured two of the three wins in singles and only came within one point of Pacific in the end, falling 4-3. The Dons were last victorious over the Tigers in 2015, clinching the match 5-2.
Vs. Saint Mary's:
The Dons haven't seen a loss from Saint Mary's since 2011 when they dropped the match in a 7-0 shutout. Since then, USF bested the Gaels in ever match. Last season, Paul Giraud, Poysti and Joenhagen all contributed singles wins for the Dons as Marker clinched the match 4-2.
UP NEXT
The Dons are back in action on Wednesday, Mar. 28 with a match against Brown University. First serve is at 12 p.m. Follow the Dons on twitter @usfmenstennis.
