Jan. 27, 2016
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State women's tennis team will resume its young dual-match season this weekend by facing two top 25 teams. The Aztecs will play host to No. 22 Kentucky on Friday then hit the road for a short trip north to take on No. 18 Pepperdine on Sunday.
Friday's matchup will be the Wildcat's third match on the season after they split their first two. On Jan. 23, Kentucky picked up a 4-1 decision over 32nd-ranked Dartmouth. The following day the Wildcats were edged by No. 14 Michigan, 4-3. The 22nd-ranked team boasts the top-ranked doubles team in the country in Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi. The two also hold spots in the singles standings with Adachi at No. 100 and Sutjiadi at No. 97.
SDSU and Kentucky were scheduled to meet last season but the meeting was cancelled due to inclement weather traveling conditions. The all-time series between the two schools stands at 3-1 in favor of the Wildcats. Junior transfer Taylor Lederman is in her first season with the Aztecs after transferring from Kentucky where she spent her first two collegiate campaigns.
On Sunday, San Diego State will head to Malibu, Calif., to square up with the Waves. The 18th-ranked team has split its first two matches, a 4-3 loss to No. 18 Ohio State and a 5-0 blanking of 42nd-ranked Houston. Before facing the Aztecs, the Waves will take on No. 4 USC in Los Angeles on Jan. 29.
Pepperdine has three doubles teams and three singles student-athletes all ranked on its roster. Julisa Stefani and Apichaya Runglerdkriangkrai combine to make up the No. 8 duo in the country, followed by No. 18 Matea Cutura and Christine Maddox. The 45th pair in the standings is Laura Gulbe and Dzina Milovanovic. Stefani comes in at No. 14 in the singles rankings followed by No. 96 Milovanovic and No. 102 Gulbe.
Last season, SDSU took an early lead over No. 30 Pepperdine by nabbing the doubles point but were unable to rally the necessary singles wins to complete the upset. The Aztecs ultimately fell, 5-2, to the Waves at Aztec Tennis Center.
Following this weekend's events, San Diego State will return home to take on UC Davis on Feb. 6. First serve at Aztec Tennis Center is slated for noon.