PROVO -- After a win against Nevada for a 4-0 record at home, the No. 57 BYU men’s tennis team welcomes No. 48 Denver for a region matchup Friday at 5:30 p.m. at the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts.
"We’re expecting a tough match," BYU head coach Brad Pearce said. "The last two times we’ve played them, it’s come down to the last match. We always have exciting finishes against Denver. We're ooking forward to good match against a good team."
Team captain Evan Urbina, who leads the Cougars holding a 21-7 record, defeated Denver’s Andrew Landerwerlen in the Mountain Region Championships during fall play. Urbina and Patrick Kawka defeated Fabio Biason and Enej Bonin in doubles in the same tournament. The Cougar duo holds a 14-6 record.
"We just want to come out and have a lot of energy," Urbina said. "We know that they expect us to be a battle. Every year since I’ve been here the match has ended 4-3. We want to be prepared for that. When it comes down to a tight situation, we just need to focus on playing our game."
Denver (2-5) comes off a 5-2 loss to No. 46 Arizona. The Pioneers boast one ranked singles player, No. 44 Bonin. He leads the Pioneers with an 11-7 record.
Free pizza and prizes will be available at the match. Admission is free and spectators may park for free in “Y Lot” parking lots to the northwest and southwest of the BYU Indoor Tennis Courts.