Tourney Time
For the second consecutive season, the 28th-ranked San Diego State men's tennis team, 15-8 overall and 4-1 in Mountain West play, will enter the Mountain West Conference Championship as the top seed. The Aztecs defeated Brigham Young on April 13th, on the final day of the conference season, to clinch the number one seed. The Aztecs receive a first-round bye at the league championship, which begins April 25th in Las Vegas. San Diego State will face the winner of the UNLV-Utah match on Friday, April 26th. SDSU enters the league championship with plenty of momentum, having won a conference-best five straight matches and eight of its last nine overall.
Weekly Rewind
San Diego State completed its regular-season with a busy three-day stretch that saw the Aztecs travel to Utah for matches on April 12th and April 13 before returning home for a non-conference match on April 14.
The Aztecs blanked Utah 7-0 in Salt Lake City. Although the Aztecs' top doubles team of Oliver Maiberger and Ryan Redondo were upset, San Diego State still claimed the doubles point and swept all six singles matches in straight sets.
San Diego State clinched the conference tournament's top-seed by defeating Brigham Young, 6-1. The Cougars entered the match unbeaten in league play, but were only able to win at number two singles.
The Aztecs concluded the busy stretch with a 7-0 shutout of Big West Conference member Pacific. San Diego State was pushed to three sets in only one singles match, in handing the Tigers their sixth loss of the season.
Maiberger and Friends Earn League Honors
Junior Oliver Maiberger was named the player of the year for the second consecutive season and John Nelson earned coach of the year honors as the Mountain West Conference announced its league award winners at the annual banquet on Wednesday night in Las Vegas. Joining Maiberger on the all-MWC singles team were sophomore Felix Hardt and junior Valentino Pest. The three Aztec players named to the all-league singles team tied for league-high honors. In addition, the Aztecs were the only school to place two doubles tandems on the all-conference doubles team. Maiberger and sophomore Ryan Redondo, ranked third nationally, were honored, as was the 53rd-ranked duo of Hardt and Pest. Since the inception of the Mountain West Conference three years ago, the Aztecs have placed eight players and five doubles teams honored as all-league selections. No school has placed more players on the all-MWC singles team and no school has had as many doubles teams selected as San Diego State.
In The Polls
For the second consecutive week, the San Diego State men's team is ranked 28th in the Omni Hotels Collegiate Tennis Rankings released
Wednesday. The current ranking is just three spots below the Aztecs' season-best mark of 25th, established late last month prior to the illness to Oliver Maiberger. One week after falling from 19th to 24th, Maiberger moved up seven
positions to 17th in the singles rankings, without playing a match. The junior can earn his second All-America honor in as many seasons by finishing the campaign ranked among the top 20. Maiberger and Ryan Redondo remained at number three in the doubles poll, While Valentino Pest and Felix Hardt are in the poll for the second consecutive week at No. 53.
Quick Volleys
The Aztecs are 15-8 after 23 matches this season, last year SDSU was 14-9 at this point during the season... Last year at this time the Aztecs were ranked 59th in the national polls, this season they are currently 28th... The loss at UNLV on March 31st snapped the Aztecs' 10 match Mountain West Conference win streak and marked the only league defeat for SDSU this
season... Felix Hardt, who posted a 3-2 record at number one singles during Maiberger's absence, is 16-7 during the dual campaign... The 16 victories are the most on the squad - three more than Ryan Redondo... The Aztecs are 14-1 as a team when winning at number one singles... The doubles combo of Felix Hardt and Valentino Pest are 13-2 during the dual campaign and have won nine straight matches... All three of the current Aztec doubles teams have posted impressive records, including an impressive 11-7 record against ranked opponents... The Aztecs have won the doubles point in nine straight matches.
