Fresno State Athletics
Bulldogs Head to San Diego for Two Matches
2/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
Feb. 1, 2008
Complete Release in PDF Format 
FRESNO, Calif. -
Bulldogs Hit the Road; Head to Southern California
The Fresno State men's tennis team continues its road trip this week when it heads to southern California for two matches. The Bulldogs face San Diego at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 2. The Bulldogs are 9-1 all-time versus the Toreros and Fresno State beat San Diego 5-2 last season. On Feb. 3, Fresno State plays at No. 50 San Diego State. The Bulldogs own a 9-6 all-time advantage versus the Aztecs. The two teams last played in 2000 and the `Dogs won 4-3.
Bulldogs Go 1-1 on First Road Trip
The Bulldogs went 1-1 on their first road trip of the season last week. Oklahoma downed Fresno State 6-1 on Jan. 25 in Oklahoma City. The Bulldogs bounced back for a 4-3 victory over Arkansas on Jan. 27 in Fayetteville, Ark. It was a homecoming for head coach Jay Udwadia, who was a graduate of Arkansas. The Bulldogs won the doubles point and sophomore Mirko Zapletal won the clinching singles match in three sets at the No. 1 spot.
Siwy Gets Preseason Ranking
Junior Rudolf Siwy had a solid fall season and earned a No. 92 ranking in the ITA Preseason rankings released Jan. 8. Siwy, who played primarily at the No. 2 spot in the lineup last season, is one of only two upperclassmen on the team. Siwy went 4-2 during the ITA All-American with wins over two ranked opponents. Siwy also defeated a ranked opponent during the ITA Regional Championships in Malibu, Calif.
Challenging Schedule Ahead
Udwadia has put together another challenging schedule for the Bulldogs this season. Fresno State opens with four of its first five matches on the road. The `Dogs will take on Oklahoma, Arkansas, San Diego and San Diego State after the season opener versus Cal Poly at home. Oklahoma entered the preseason rankings at No. 34 and was a 5-2 winner over Fresno State last year. San Diego State is No. 50 and San Diego is No. 75. The Bulldogs will host No. 22 Boise State at home on Feb. 24 and take on No. 17 Pepperdine on the road on April 6. Fresno State also hosts ranked opponents Nebraska, Santa Clara, TCU and UNLV. In addition, the Bulldogs travel to Montgomery, Ala., March 13-16 for the annual Blue Gray Classic. The tournament will feature many of the top programs from around the country.
Home Slate Packed with Tough Competition
The Bulldogs have 14 home matches scheduled for this season. The `Dogs have traditionally been very strong at home and will look to continue the trend in 2008. In addition to No. 22 Boise State, the Bulldogs will host WAC foes Hawai'i and Nevada in February. In-state opponents include Cal Poly, Santa Clara, Saint Mary's, UC Davis and Pacific. The Bulldogs also host Oregon, Nebraska and UNLV, which figure to be exciting matches.
Udwadia Begins Fourth Season at Fresno State
Udwadia begins his fourth campaign as head coach of the Bulldogs. He owns a career record of 62-33 and a 40-29 record at Fresno State. Udwadia has guided Fresno State to the WAC title match in two straight seasons. Udwadia has helped five players earn All-WAC in singles and five doubles tandems have become all-conference honorees under his guidance. Udwadia also vaulted three of his players into the regional top-30 rankings last season. The team has been solid in the classroom as well. In the last three years, the Bulldogs have achieved a team GPA above 3.0 and last year the `Dogs earned ITA all-academic recognition.
"Join the State - Fresno State!" - The Fresno State men's tennis team will travel to San Diego February 2-3. The `Dogs will face San Diego on February 2 at 12:30 p.m. and San Diego State on February 3 at 1 p.m. The Fresno State men's tennis team returns home to the Spalding G. Wathen Tennis Center to battle Hawaii Friday, February 8 at 5 p.m. Admission is free to all home tennis matches.
