Cougars Close Season on the Road

PROVO -- Two final Mountain West opponents await the No. 57 BYU women’s tennis team in Las Vegas. The Cougars will face No. 42 San Diego State Friday and No. 50 UNLV Saturday to wrap up the regular season.

“We’re constantly trying to build momentum,” BYU coach Craig Manning said. “These matches are another opportunity to get better.”

BYU is currently 12-7 on the season and 5-1 in conference play. The Cougars also have players ranked in singles and doubles. Freshman McCall Jones comes in at No. 116. She and partner Kristina Doerr also broke in to the doubles rankings this week at No. 69.

“We’re focusing on fundamentals and trying to execute them well,” Manning said. “It’s a never-ending battle trying to get your game to the next level.”

San Diego State will be the first test for BYU. The Aztecs own a 15-6 overall record and 4-2 conference record. Their last result was a 4-3 loss to the University of San Diego. SDSU has one duo ranked with Holly Bagshaw and Julia Trunk earning the No. 76 spot.

Saturday brings current conference leader UNLV. The Rebels boast an impressive 16-6 overall record and are 6-0 against Mountain West opponents. They swept Southern Utah 7-0 in their last outing. When the two teams met last year, the Cougars dominated in a 4-0 win.

“We’re trying to improve in any small aspect we can,” Manning said. “At the same time, we’re playing for a good seed in the tournament, so hopefully we’ll play well.”

Both matches will take place at the Fertitta Tennis Complex in Las Vegas at 10 a.m. PT.