After opening the season with a victory over Colorado, the New Mexico women’s tennis team will host two schools this weekend.
The Lobos will play Southern Illinois on Saturday, followed by a match against Northern Arizona on Sunday. Southern Illinois and Northern Arizona will face each other on Sunday as well.
Head coach Kelcy McKenna said the Lobos will be playing against teams that are deep and competitive. She said the players on both teams have vocal, high energy players all through the roster.
She said that if a shift in momentum occurs, the team will need to do a better job of maintaining energy and playing its brand of tennis.
“I think that they are both very well-coached teams,” McKenna said. “They have great energy, so we’re going to need to match that.”
All three teams feature multiple international players on its rosters. There are a total of 14 international players from 12 different countries across four continents on the rosters. Southern Illinois and Northern Arizona have five each, while New Mexico has four.
McKenna said the different styles could provide some interesting matches.
“Southern Illinois has quite a few international players that tend to have a lot of different styles,” she said. “I think that’ll be interesting in matching up with our team.”
One of the best things about the team, McKenna said, is how close the players are and how well they get along with each other off the court. The head coach said it is fun to see that transfer to the court and see the players cheering each other on. Their best supporters are the people playing next to them.
Last week marked the first time some of the players were paired with each other and McKenna said there might be some different doubles pairing and lineups again this week. McKenna said because it is early in the season, the staff has the luxury of adjusting things.
The head coach said a lot of decisions will depend on how the players feel, especially after enduring a long, physical match. She said having seven players on the roster that can play at any time will be a benefit as the season unfolds.
The matches will take place at the Linda Estes Tennis Center located near the Lobo Football Stadium. The Lobos will take the court against Southern Illinois at 2 p.m. on Saturday and will face Northern Arizona at 3 p.m. on Sunday. Southern Illinois will play against Northern Arizona on Sunday at 10 a.m.
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Robert Maler is a sports reporter for the Daily Lobo. He primarily covers cross country, tennis, and track and field. He can be reached at sports@dailylobo.com or on Twitter @robert_maler.
