Challenging times lie ahead for the Oregon tennis teams.
While the women and men have combined for just one loss on the year, the schedule only gets tougher for both squads.
The 42nd-ranked Oregon women (8-0 overall, 2-0 Pacific-10 Conference) take the road for the first time this dual match season as they face Washington State today and fifth-ranked Washington on Saturday. The matches do not count toward the conference record, and the Ducks play each team again in Eugene next month.
Oregon head coach Nils Schyllander said he wants to see his team bring their high level of play from home onto the road.
“We’re very excited,” he said. “We feel like we have a lot of momentum going in.”
Singles play is proving crucial, with four Ducks holding undefeated dual singles records, led by senior Davina Mendiburu’s eight wins. Junior Daria Panova has compiled a 6-0 record at the No. 1 position, with each coming against the opponent’s best player.
Beginning Saturday, the Ducks see a stretch during which they face five straight opponents on the road who are ranked in the top 15 in the nation, including No. 1 Stanford.
The biggest test this weekend, however, comes against Washington.
The Huskies (6-1) have three wins against top-25 schools. Their only loss came against Stanford. They also boast three players among the top 90 players in the country. Claire Carter, ranked 35th, heads up the field on a squad that Huskies head coach Patty McCain describes as having a “refuse-to-lose attitude” and demonstrating “mental toughness,” which she said they will need against the Ducks.
“Oregon is a very tough squad,” she said. “We knew they were going to be tough with all their talent this year. We’re looking forward to the fight.”
The Ducks dropped both contests with Washington last season, but with their renewed and impressive play so far, the women are viewing this match as a way to prove that they are legitimate contenders in the conference and in the country.
“We look at that as an opportunity,” Schyllander said. “We feel like we match up pretty well (with them).”

Men head to California
The 59th-ranked Oregon men (6-1) want to build a new winning streak after suffering their first loss of the year against Boise State last Friday. They came back the next night to defeat Denver, 4-3.
“(We) let one get away against Boise State, but the guys played hard and stuck together,” Oregon head coach Chris Russell said. “We should be riding some mojo into this weekend because the guys came together so well to close the Denver match.”
The Ducks will compete against UC-Santa Barbara (3-4) today and No. 22 Oklahoma State (3-0) on
Saturday in Santa Clara, Calif.
Junior Sven Swinnen is becoming one of the top players for Oregon as he is just two wins away from entering the program’s top-ten career wins list.
Santa Clara head coach Marty Davis said that his team’s depth has been a key asset this season and he hopes it will be an advantage for his squad.
“We will have to play our best match of this young season to compete with the Ducks,” Davis said. “Hopefully, we’ll be inspired playing at home and be able to draw energy and motivation from our fans.”