Rice University
UCSB
Men's Tennis Heads to California on Two-Match Road Trip
3/10/2024 1:57:00 PM | Men's Tennis
In Brief: Rice men's tennis heads westward to California for a two-match road trip. The Owls begin the week at No. 53 UC Santa Barbara on Monday, March 11, at 1 p.m. (CT) in Santa Barbara, California, before heading north up the coast to San Luis Obispo to face Cal Poly on Thursday, March 14, at 2 p.m. (CT).
The Schedule: Monday: at No. 53 UC Santa Barbara - 1 p.m. CT | Thursday - at Cal Poly - 2 p.m. CT
Match Info: The Owls will face the Gauchos on Monday, March 11, at 1 p.m. (CT) at the Arnhold Tennis Center in Santa Barbara, California. Live video and results for the match will be available through UCSB athletics.
Rice will take on Cal Poly at the Mustang Tennis Complex in San Luis Obispo, California, on Thursday, March 14, at 2 p.m. (CT).
The Owls: Rice enters Monday's match at 7-6 following a 6-1 home win over Air Force at the George R. Brown Tennis Center. Rice clinched the doubles point with wins at the first and third positions of the lineup and received singles wins from seniors Yasha Zemel and Trinity Grear, junior Emir Sendogan, sophomore Kabeer Kapasi and freshman Petro Kuzmenok.
The Opposition: The Gauchos are ranked 53rd in the latest ITA rankings with a 5-3 record on the season, including two straight victories over ranked opponents in their last two outings, 4-1 over No. 57 Oregon and 4-0 over No. 36 Florida Atlantic. Rice is 1-1 all-time against UCSB, defeating the Gauchos, 4-3, on Feb. 26, 1993, before falling, 4-2, on Jan. 16, 2023. Both prior matches were played at neutral locations.
Rice and Cal Poly have met only one time previously, as the Owls defeated the Mustangs, 4-3, last season on March 24, 2023, in Houston. Cal Poly is 3-4 this season with wins over New Mexico and Eastern Washington, plus a 7-0 win over DePaul in their last outing.
Players Mentioned
