Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Seek First WAC Crown Since 1999
4/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
April 20, 2006
FRESNO, Calif. - The Fresno State men's tennis team opens the Western Athletic Conference tournament tomorrow with first round match against Idaho at 8 a.m. PT. Fresno State is seeking its first WAC crown since 1999 and third overall. The 'Dogs also won the conference title in 1996.
The Bulldogs are the second seeded team in the bracket and face Idaho for just the third time in school history. The Bulldogs and Vandals last met in 1999 when Fresno State won 5-2.
The Bulldogs enter the conference tournament with a record of 13-6 and a No. 47 national ranking. The squad has faired well in doubles this year with all three tandems compiling winning percentages of .500 or better. This week, seniors Sam Gibbs and Sergiu Modoc moved up to No. 37 in the ITA rankings after finishing the regular season with a 10-6 mark.
Juior Jakub Cech has been outstanding as the team's top singles player. He has defeated three players ranked in the top-25 while moving up to No. 49 in the country. It is the first time since 2001 the team has had a player ranked in the top-50. Junior Charles Irie also had a fabulous season at the No. 3 and No. 4 positions in the lineup. He finished the dual match season with a record of 15-3.
Freshman Rudolf Siwy and Jordi Ballester, along with sophomore Sam Tadevosian, have given the team stability throughout the lineup. The Bulldogs could potentially face top seed Boise State in the final on Sunday. The 'Dogs and Broncos met earlier this year at the Wathen Tennis Center when Fresno State led 2-1 before rain stopped the match.
Stay tuned to gobulldogs.com for all of Fresno State's results or follow the tournament at WACsports.com.
Players Mentioned
