The Oregon men’s tennis team is heading to Hawaii this weekend, but it won’t be all pineapples and palm trees.
The Ducks are competing in the Kona Invitational against three teams that are expected to be in the top 20 in the nation when the rankings come out next week.
“We’re excited,” head coach Chris Russell said. “There is nothing better than to play some of the best schools right off the bat.”
The Invitational begins Saturday and consists of mock dual meets against Illinois, Texas A&M and Wake Forest.
The Ducks start against Illinois, a team with four players in the preseason top 100, including No. 6 Amer Delic. Individual scores will be kept, but team records will not be affected.
After starting the tournament against an Illinois team that likely will be ranked second in the nation, the Ducks match up against a Texas A&M team that has two players among the best 85 in the NCAA.
As if that weren’t enough, the Ducks take on Wake Forest Monday. The Demon Deacons boast a roster with two top-100 athletes, including No. 28 David Lowenthal, who won the USTA Futures Tournament in November.
“We have our hands full, but it’s going to be great tennis for us,” Russell said. “We’re playing against some of the best schools in the country.”
The Ducks haven’t played competitively since the Futures Tournament, but they are hoping to gain some momentum going into the regular season dual meets.
“This is exactly what we’re looking for in terms of getting all these matches in before we play our team season,” Russell said.