By Michael Isaac Jacobs
Arizona Daily Wildcat
March 24, 1998

Wildcat tennis teams hope to spring back to winning ways

And the tennis matches play on.

As midseason approaches for UA's Wildcat tennis teams, both the men and the women find themselves perched in precarious Pacific 10 Conference positions.

The No. 15 women's team returns home after a five match road trip to face No. 56 Washington today and No. 73 Oregon tomorrow.

Both matches, scheduled to start at 2 p.m., are crucial for the Wildcats, who are at the .500 mark (6-6 overall). They are 3-5 in the Pac-10.

While some students started spring break by waxing surfboards and applying tropical lotions to screen the adverse effects of the sun, UA's women's tennis team just got waxed.

"We've put the recent losses behind us, but we all know that we have to win these matches to get into the NCAAs," freshman Michelle Gough said.

The Pac-10 Championships are just one month away, and the NCAA Championships are two months from commencement.

Arizona was blanked 9-0 by No. 13 UCLA on the Friday before the break began and then dropped a 5-1 decision to No. 24 Southern Cal the following day. UA senior Vicky Maes claimed the only point for the Wildcats, a three-set marathon against USC's top player, Ditta Huber.

"It would be good for our team to bounce back and pick up some wins. We put in a lot of effort this last weekend practicing, so we'll be ready," Gough said.

The men's team stayed home for the first two days of break only to be swallowed in the mouth of madness by Southern Cal and UCLA.

Rebounding may be the only option for the Wildcats as No. 59 New Mexico State arrives for a non-conference match Wednesday at 1:30 p.m.

The sixth-ranked Trojans extinguished the Wildcats' four-game home winning streak in the storm of a 5-2 fire.

Saturday, No. 10 UCLA pitched a 7-0 shutout to leave the Wildcats with a 4-5 overall record and a 1-4 Pac-10 mark.

"We're just four wins short, and then we should be all right for the regionals," senior Michael MacKay said.

The home match will be played at Tucson Country Club to accommodate the overlap with the women's schedule.

"The courts are a little slower there, but it shouldn't be that much of a difference," MacKay said. "It will be good to get back into action before our big match with California on Saturday."