SPOKANE, Wash. – The longest road trip since 2006 will come to a close this weekend for BYU men’s tennis after matches at Gonzaga and Portland. The two contests are the last of an eight match, six week stretch that also sees the Cougars (3-9, 1-0 WCC) return to West Coast Conference competition.
Friday’s match at Gonzaga’s Stevens Tennis Center begins at 3:00 p.m. PDT. Portland will then host BYU on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. PDT from the Louisiana-Pacific Tennis Center.
BYU Notes
- The Cougars are 1-0 in WCC after defeating Saint Mary’s 4-0 on February 18 in Provo.
- Zach Fuchs was a member of Gonzaga’s team for one year but never played with the Zags due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- This week’s WCC Doubles Team of the Week honor was given to BYU’s Brigham Andrus and Redd Owen after the duo went 2-0 last weekend. The Cougars are the only school to have three different teams earn the conference’s weekly doubles award.
- The eight-match road trip saw the team play in five states: Idaho, Texas, Utah, Oregon and Washington.
Gonzaga Notes
- The Bulldogs are 5-6 this season, including 3-0 at home. Their match versus BYU will be their WCC opener.
- Seven of the nine players on the roster are upperclassmen.
- Head coach D.J. Gurule is in his second season leading GU’s men’s team after previously coaching the women’s side for 17 years.
Series Information
- Series Record: BYU leads 7-3
- Last Meeting: Gonzaga won 4-1 on March 25, 2022, in Provo
Portland Notes
- The Pilots are 6-6 this season, including 5-1 at home. They are 0-1 in WCC play after losing to San Diego on February 17.
- Senior Sema Pankin is 7-5 at No. 1 singles and has two wins over nationally ranked opponents.
- Head coach Aaron Gross is in his 25th season.
Series Information
- Series Record: BYU leads 12-2
- Last Meeting: BYU won 4-2 on March 19, 2022, in Provo