The men’s and women’s tennis teams will be in action for the first time this season at the Midland Racquet Club Invitational and the New Mexico State Invitational.
Both teams have most of their core players returning, as they look forward to improving in their second season of Div. I eligibility.
The men’s team added freshman Riley Tran and Michael Benevides as well as junior transfer Akinori Wada.
Benevides said moving from high school tennis to Div. I tennis will be challenging.
“It’s very different, you know, the level of tennis is much better,” Benivedes said. “The competition is better. Everything about the game is amplified; it’s a good change.”
The men’s schedule starts this weekend with part of the team traveling to the Midland Invitational, and the rest to the New Mexico State Invitational. The rest of the team’s away tournaments this fall will include the ITA Oracle Masters, the ITA All American Championship and the ITA Texas Regional Championship.
Senior Josh Sheehy said the returning members of the men’s team are ready to show improvement in the second year of Div. I eligibility.
“I think last year went really well for us,” Sheehy said. “It was the first year of playing in postseason eligibility, so all of us were really excited. Everyone put in a lot of hard work to make the year the best we could, and everyone had a good mentality. I think we will be able to do that again this year.”
The women’s tennis team also starts this weekend in Midland. They will travel west at the end of the month to play in the Colorado Invitational in Boulder, Colorado. They will play in Dallas at the SMU Invitational Oct. 5-7 and finish the fall season at the ITA Texas Regionals at Texas A&M on Oct. 19-21.
Junior Sarah Adams said the chemistry of the women’s team will carry them through both the fall and spring seasons.
“We have three great additions to our team this year and returners who have worked hard this summer,” Adams said. “It is our goal this season to create a strong, united team that will support each other as we move into our spring season.”
