SAN FRANCISCO - Another road match is slated for the University of San Francisco men's tennis team as it gears up for a weekend match against UC Santa Barbara (Feb. 23). First serve at the UCSB Tennis Courts is set for 1 p.m. PT.

"The Dons are looking forward to another great match against a very strong UCSB team," said head coach Pablo Pires de Almeida. "We always have close matches with UCSB and we know that this is a big opportunity for us to keep building confidence. UCSB is a well coached program and we are ready for the challenge."

LAST TIME OUT
The Dons clinched the match last weekend against Boise State, 4-0, putting them 4-4 on the season.

USF secured the doubles point after wins from pairs Mitch Johnson and Phuc Huynh (6-3), and Ori Maior and Paul Giraud (6-4). 

In singles, Giraud (6-4, 6-4), Maior (6-2, 6-2) and Huynh (6-2, 2-6, 6-2) took down their opponents, clinching the match win over Boise State.

SERIES VS. UC SANTA BARBARA
The series is tied at 4-4 between USF and UCSB. The last three contests ended in losses for the Dons, with the last match happening in the 2017-2018 season where the Gauchos walked away with a 7-0 win.

The match got off to a rough start when the Dons dropped the doubles point. Former Dons pair Mert Zincirli and Johan Joenhagen won their match 6-2, but Giraud and his former Dons doubles teammate Ryan Marker fell 3-6, tying up doubles at 1-1. The doubles point ultimately went to UCSB when former Dons pair Lucas Marinelli and Oliver Poysti fell 3-6 on their court.

In singles, the Dons couldn't find a match win on their courts. Giraud put up a fight, taking his match to the tiebreaker round, but dropped his match 4-6, 6-1, 6-3 and the Gauchos defeated the Dons.

The last time the Dons saw a victory against UCSB was in 2015 where they topped their opponent 5-2.

Currently, UCSB is 2-8 on the season.

FUN FACTS
Maior leads the Dons in singles wins at 6-2 so far this season:

• Against Pepperdine (Jan. 19): Maior def. Pietro Fellin; 6-4, 6-2
• Against UC Davis (Jan. 23): Maior def. Arjith Jayaraman; 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
• Against Arizona (Jan. 31): Maior def. Carlos Hassey; 7-5, 6-2
• Against Grand Canyon (Feb. 1): Maior def. Freddie Grant; 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
• Against UC Irvine (Feb. 7): Maior def. Daniel Gealer; 7-6, 6-2
• Against Boise State (Feb. 16): Maior def. Blake Bayldon; 6-2, 6-2

UP NEXT
The Dons will be at the Mountain Pacific Invitational next weekend. The two-day invite is set to begin on Saturday, February 29.

Make sure to follow the Dons on social media @usfdonstennis and @usfmenstennis for updates and more news.