Jan. 24, 2002
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This Week
The 53rd-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team opens the 2002 spring campaign playing in the four-team ITA Indoor Regional VII Team Championship in Boise, Idado. San Diego State joins New Mexico, Brigham Young and tournament-host Boise State in the bracket event. The winner advances to the ITA National Team Indoor Championship in Louisville, Ky., Feb, 7-9. The Aztecs are the top-seed in the tournament, followed by Boise State, ranked 58th in the preseason poll. New Mexico earned a No. 63 ranking in the preseason poll and Brigham Young is 69th. The winners of Friday's matches will compete at 2 p.m. MST on Saturday for the right to advance to next month's national championship. The consolation match will begin on Saturday morning at 9 a.m. The Aztecs have won eight straight regular-season matches, outscoring their opponents 42-12 during that stretch.
Battaan Death March
Following this weekend's play, the Aztec men are scheduled to play three consecutive road matches against teams currently ranked among the top eight nationally. The stretch begins next Saturday when the Aztecs travel to second-ranked Stanford. After the match against the Cardinal, SDSU could compete in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship before resuming dual play at third-ranked UCLA and eighth-ranked Pepperdine. San Diego State does not play its first home match until Feb. 23, against UC Irvine.
Number 2, With A Bullet
San Diego State's Oliver Maiberger and Ryan Redondo, who claimed the ITA national indoor doubles title last fall, were rewarded with a number two preseason ranking in the ITA poll. The duo, which entered fall play ranked 46th, made the biggest jump in the rankings. Maiberger's solid singles play in the fall resulted in a boost in his individual rankings as well. The junior moved from 13th in the fall to 11th in the preseason spring rankings. As a team, the Aztecs are the top-ranked Mountain West squad at No. 53.