The Oregon men’s tennis team (5-1), sporting a three-game winning streak, battle the Brigham Young University Cougars (3-3, 0-1) in a non-conference match Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
The Ducks come into the match after a 5-2 victory against Sacramento State on Saturday. Freshman Geoff Embry remained undefeated in the Ducks win and has only allowed a single opponent this season to take four games in a set.
The team hopes Embry is able to carry this momentum into the coming games.
Alexander Cornelissen, the reputable freshman from Belgium, has lost just once the entire season. Cornelissen’s talent and confidence have been major assets to the Ducks.
“He’s playing at a very high level. He’s a very smart player. If he can commit to his game plan there’s no reason that he can’t be successful again. He needs to focus and play a solid match,” director of tennis and head coach Nils Schyllander said.
BYU comes into the match following a two-game win streak over the University of San Francisco and Northern Arizona University. The streak follows three straight losses, all to teams ranked in the top 75 according to collegetennisonline.com. Led by three seniors, the Cougars definitely have the experience factor on their side in almost any match they play.
“They are a very talented team, probably the most talented team we’ve played all year. But we’re at home and we don’t want to lose” Schyllander said.
An experienced BYU squad will almost certainly give Oregon a run for its money.
“We’re going to play hard. It’s going to come down to the wire. It’s going to be a really close match” Schyllander said.
The Ducks are hoping to build on their current momentum.
“We’ve played two top opponents and had two good wins. The guys are really confident,” Schyllander said.
Senior Eric Pickard is battle-tested against the senior-led Cougars and knows the Ducks are facing a tough match.
“I’ve played BYU a few times and they play very aggressively. We have a lot of young talent in the team, so I think we definitely have a good chance of sending them back with a loss” Pickard said.
Freshman Ric Mortera will not be returning to the lineup this week after being sidelined with a strained muscle in his right elbow. The Portland-native has been dominant in the early season and the team is hoping for a smooth recovery and fast return.