BYU Women's Tennis Team to Host Invitational

PROVO -- The BYU women's tennis team will host the BYU Invitational this week beginning on Thursday and playing the final draws on Saturday.

The Cougars will host teams from Washington State, Boise State, Weber State, Colorado State, Utah and Utah State.

"These are all tough teams and I'm just really looking forward to see what the girls can do," head coach Craig Manning said. "They've worked really hard and this will be a great test."

All matches will be played on the BYU outdoor courts located south of the Smith Fieldhouse. In case of inclement weather, matches will be moved to the indoor courts.

Play will begin on Thursday at 10 a.m. with the first singles draw. The invitational will feature both a singles and doubles main draw with consolations brackets for those who get beat.

The final singles draw will be played Saturday at 11:30 a.m. with the final doubles being played Friday at 4:30 p.m.

This year's team will be backed by experience and strength with six returning players and four new recruits. The three new players include freshman Lauren Jones from Mission Viejo, Calif., freshman Sofia Holden from Mexico City, Mexico and senior Barbora Zahnova from Tranava, Slovakia.

The Invitational will be the first tournament for the women's tennis team this season. With the three new recruits, head coach Craig Manning is eager to see how they will do in actual match play.

"We haven't played a lot yet, so this will be a great chance to see the team in competition," Manning said. "The girls are ready for this week. We just need to play."

Manning said attitude is so important for them to do well this early in the season.

"It's a great opportunity for our team to get some early experience," Manning said. "It will be great to see them play together as a team. If they are positive and play hard, they will do well."

Senior Lu Oswald will not play in this week's Invitational as she is still recovering from shoulder surgery. Oswald suffered a tear to her rotator cuff last season and underwent surgery to repair the damage. Coach Manning hopes Oswald will be ready for Regionals in October.