April 4, 2002
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Aztecs Take Break from League Play, Battle Tulsa and San Diego This Week
The 32nd-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team, 10-8 overall and 2-1 in Mountain West Conference play, takes a break from league action this week to play two ranked opponents. On Friday, the Aztecs will entertain 35th-ranked Tulsa in just their fifth home match of the season. San Diego State will then venture across town for a road contest next Tuesday at 44th-ranked San Diego.
The Aztecs, who have won three of their last four matches and seven of their last 10 overall, have just two regular-season home contests remaining this season. In addition to playing host to the Golden Hurricane on Friday, San Diego State will also be home for Pacific on April 14th.
Weekly Rewind: Aztecs Open MWC Play By Winning Two of Three in Las Vegas
Playing without All-America candidate Oliver Maiberger for the second consecutive week, the Aztecs posted a 2-1 Mountain West Conference record in a four-team, round-robin in Las Vegas.
The Aztecs opened up league play on Friday with a 5-2 victory over New Mexico. The Aztecs won four singles matches that went three sets to defeat the Lobos.
On Saturday, SDSU notched a 6-1 victory over 74th-ranked Air Force. Felix Hardt, Travis Hasson and Gabe Coren all recorded victories in singles and doubles for the Aztecs.
Host UNLV put an end to the Aztecs' attempt at a perfect weekend with a 6-1 win over SDSU. The Aztecs gained the doubles point, but UNLV rallied down a set in three matches to sweep all six singles matches.
Where in the World is Oliver Maiberger?
Oliver Maiberger continues to be out ill with what is believed to be a viral infection. The junior, who is the top-ranked singles player and one-half of the top-ranked doubles team in the Mountain West Conference, is questionable for Friday's match against Tulsa.
Maiberger has missed the last five matches and did not travel to last weekend's three conference duals in Las Vegas. In his absence, the No. 2-6 positions in the singles lineup each moved up one slot. That gave the top singles position to Felix Hardt, who posted a 3-2 mark at the top of the lineup.
The Aztecs shuffled the doubles lineup, moving Hardt and Valentino Pest from No. 2 to No. 1 and moving Travis Hasson and Gabe Coren up to No. 2 doubles. Maiberger's normal playing partner, Ryan Redondo, was teamed with Khalid Naffa at No. 3.
SDSU Enjoys Third Big Week in the Top 35
For the third consecutive week, the San Diego State men's tennis team remained ranked among the nation's top 35 teams. The Aztecs, ranked 32nd this week, have remained among the nation's elite despite the fact that they have been minus junior All-America candidate Oliver Maiberger the past five matches.
The Aztecs achieved a season-best position of 25th two weeks ago, prior to Maiberger's illness. Last week, the Aztecs slipped to 30th and are 32nd in the poll this week.
Maybe the Computer has a Viral Infection
Despite the fact that Oliver Maiberger has missed the last five matches and has not played since before the last individual national rankings came out, the junior moved up to two positions in the Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings released by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) on Wednesday.
Maiberger is ranked 19th in singles, up from 21st two weeks ago.
Maiberger and teammate Ryan Redondo ranked third nationally among doubles teams, the same position they held in the previous poll.
We Have More, We have Four
Although shut out of the weekly award this week, San Diego State continues to set the pace with four Mountain West Conference Men's Tennis Players of the Week this season. The Aztecs have claimed four of the 11 awards since the honor debuted in late January.
Junior Oliver Maiberger was the recipient on Jan. 30th and Feb. 13th, while Felix Hardt claimed the honor on Feb. 6th. Ryan Redondo earned the honor on March 19th and was the Aztec nominee this week.
Quality Losses
San Diego State sports a 10-8 record, but as the No. 32 national ranking would indicate, records can be misleading. Six of the Aztecs' eight losses have come to teams currently ranked in the top 15 nationally. SDSU has losses to second-ranked UCLA, third-ranked Illinois, fourth-ranked Pepperdine, sixth-ranked Stanford (twice) and 15th-ranked Tennessee.
The Aztecs are 5-2 against teams ranked outside the top 15, and 5-0 against unranked competition.
Of the 18 matches to date, 15 of San Diego State's opponents have been ranked at the time of the match. That trend will continue this week as the Aztecs' next two opponents are both ranked.
Quick Volleys
The Aztecs are 10-8 after 18 matches this season, last year SDSU was 9-9 at this point... Last year at this time the Aztecs were not ranked in the national polls, this season they are currently 32nd... SDSU's loss at UNLV snapped the Aztecs' 10-match Mountain West Conference win streak... Felix Hardt, who has filled in for Oliver Maiberger at No. 1 singles, is 11-7 during the dual campaign... His 11 victories are the most on the squad... SDSU's three primary doubles teams all sport winning records... Maiberger and Redondo, the nation's third-ranked doubles team, are 7-4 in the dual campaign while Felix Hardt and Valentino Pest (number two doubles) and Travis Hasson and Gabe Coren (number three doubles) are 5-2 and 6-3, respectively... Oliver Maiberger is 20-8 this season (includes the fall campaign), including an impressive 9-7 record against ranked opponents... He is 11-1 against unranked opposition.