PROVO -- The No. 63 BYU men's tennis team will open its season with a double-header against Utah State and Weber State Saturday at the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts. The Cougars will start with Utah State at 12 p.m. and will then play Weber State at 5 p.m.
The Cougars come into this season with a wealth of experience. Senior Jose Lechuga, Nima Roshan and Ivan Kokurin lead the way for the team, while juniors Dominik Kaufhold, James Ludlow and Chip Hand and sophomores Jonathan Sanchez and Zack Warren have all had great showings and were key in helping BYU place second at the Regional Championships during the fall preseason. By taking second the Cougars qualified for the regional playoffs on Jan. 21. Winning the playoff would qualify the team for the ITA National Team Indoor Championships in February.
Assistant Coach Dann Battistone said these early matches are very important for the Cougars, as they will help the team prepare for the playoff matches.
Coming out of a break it's important to get back into competition mode," Battistone said. "These matches will be important in getting us prepared mentally."
Admission to Saturday's matches is open to the public and admission is free.