PROVO -- The BYU women's tennis team will compete in its second tournament of the fall season as they head to Berkeley, California, to take part in the Cal Invitational Sept. 30-Oct. 2.
The Cougars, who finished last season ranked 22nd in the nation, will face tough competition in every match. Among the schools playing in the tournament are the University of North Carolina, Duke University, California and TCU, all of which finished last season ranked in the Top 25. Arizona, Arizona State, Fresno State, New Mexico, UC Davis, Sacramento Sate and the University of San Francisco will also make the trip to Berkeley, rounding out a very competitive draw for the three-day tournament.
BYU head coach Craig Manning said playing in the Cal Invitational will be great for his team because they will be able to see how they match up with some of the best tennis players in the country.
"I hope the impression the girls get from this tournament is that the other players are good, but we're right there with them," Manning said.
Last week's invitational helped the Cougs discover some things they need to work on in order to be successful come January. Manning said the competition the team will go up against in California will point out where the team can continue to improve.
"This is a step up from the tournament we played in last week because the competition is going to be a lot better," Manning said. "Playing a higher level of tennis let's us see if there's anything else we nee to address so we can be ready when we get into the most important time of the year."
The Cal Invitational runs Sept. 30 through Oct. 2. Matches will begin at 9:00 a.m. and will be played on the Hellman Courts at the University of California.