After spending a month under one roof at the new Student Tennis Center, the Oregon tennis teams hit the road this weekend.
The No. 53 women head south for Pacific-10 Conference matches with No. 10 Arizona State and No. 24 Arizona. The match kicks off a two-month road trip for the Ducks, who will not return home until March 30.
The Ducks (3-2) have won three straight matches, but are winless in the Pac-10.
Arizona hosts Oregon today in Tucson, Ariz. The Wildcats (1-2, 0-2 Pac-10) are led by senior Michelle Gough, who is ranked No. 3 among Region VIII singles players. Freshman Debbie Larocque is ranked No. 19 for the Wildcats.
Last season, Oregon recorded one of the biggest wins in school history with a 5-4 upset over then-No. 21 Arizona. The win marked the first time a Northwest school had beaten a Pac-10 school from the south.
Then, on Saturday, the Ducks travel 100 miles north to Tempe, Ariz., for a match with Arizona State (2-1). The Sun Devils are led by No. 47 sophomore Megan Yeats and No. 97 Faye De Vera.
Countering for the Ducks is a rich blend of underclassmen. Sophomores Monika Geiczys and Jeanette Mattsson have traded off at the No. 1 singles position this year for a combined 12-13 record. A strong junior class includes veterans Janice Nyland, Adeline Arnaud and Valerie Young. Added to the mix is junior transfer Vickie Gunnarsson.
New additions Courtney Nagle and Davina Mendiburu add spice to the mix, especially in doubles play.
The Oregon men are also in action this weekend. The No. 66 Ducks are licking their wounds after losses to Boise State and Northwestern last weekend.
Oded Teig and the rest of the Ducks are looking to end their four-match skid in Lewiston, Idaho, for a 2:30 p.m. non-conference match with Idaho.
“Idaho is a tough team,” men’s coach Chris Russell said. “We’re always wary of the upset. We’ll be looking to improve our shot selection and level of competition.”
The unranked Vandals are led by juniors Eddie Brisboise and Stephen De Silva. Last season, Oregon defeated Idaho 6-1 in Boise.
Teig leads the Ducks with a 12-8 singles record, although fellow sophomore Jason Menke has the best record on the team over the last five matches.