Utah State Men's Tennis Opens Spring Season At Home Against Air Force

Utah State's men's tennis opens its spring season hosting Air Force on Friday, Jan. 17, at 10 a.m. at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club. The Aggies competed in three fall tournaments individually and will now compete as a team.

Utah State is 0-4 against Air Force in the last 12 years. Last year the Aggies fell to the Falcons 6-1, as junior Jason Trask recorded the Aggies' lone victory with a 6-4, 6-2 win against Phil Yim. Head coach Christian Wright feels the Aggies stack-up nicely against the Falcons.

"Air Force is a team setup much like ours, said Wright. "They don't necessarily have one or two guys that carry the team. They are well balanced and should challenge us at every spot."

The Aggies return just three players from last year's team that went 7-13. Lone senior Jordan Butler along with juniors Jason Trask and Jonah Nelson will be looked to for stability on a young team. Butler and Trask have been selected as co-captains.

Other Aggies to watch include junior Ryan Bair and freshman Andrew Marsh. Bair played for the Aggies in the 1999-00 season before going on an LDS mission. Marsh was strong this fall posting five individual wins, the most on the team.

The Aggies' next match will be against Montana State on Thurs., Jan. 23, at 4 p.m. at the Sports Academy and Racquet Club.