Match One
NM State (0-0) at UNLV (0-2)
Friday, January 29 | 1:00 p.m. | Fertitta Tennis Complex | Las Vegas, Nev.

Match Two
NM State vs. Weber State (0-1)
Saturday, January 30 | 10:00 a.m. | Fertitta Tennis Complex | Las Vegas, Nev.

Match Three
NM State vs. Montana (1-1)
Saturday, January 30 | 3:00 p.m. | Fertitta Tennis Complex | Las Vegas, Nev.

THE FIRST SERVE
• For the first time in nearly one year, the NM State men's tennis team will be back on the courts. Las Vegas, Nev., is where the Aggies will begin their 2021 season as they are one of four teams taking part in a two-day extravaganza at the Frank and Vicki Fertitta Tennis Complex.
• The Aggies' season opener is set for 1:00 p.m. Friday afternoon when they take on host UNLV. Saturday, NM State is set to tangle with Weber State at 10:00 a.m. before concluding its three-match weekend schedule with a tilt against Montana at 3:00 p.m.
• A trio of newcomers - freshmen Gijs Akkermans and Petr Stavrovski as well as Arkansas transfer Corey Clarke - join five Aggies who were members of the 2019-20 squad.
• Senior Nicolas Buitrago and freshman Jordy Visser are arguably the Aggies' top two returners. Other NM State returners include sophomore Martin Simecek, junior Louis Menard and freshman Sahil Chennadi.
• Buitrago went 7-4 in singles action last spring, generating the highest number of singles wins on the squad. Visser put forth a 6-5 showing in one-on-one matches while Menard was a perfect 3-0 in singles play.
• NM State's top doubles tandem of Buitrago and Visser is back in action after going 6-5 in tandem play last spring.

SCOUTING UNLV | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• UNLV is gunning for its first win of the 2021 season when it takes on the Aggies Friday morning. The Rebels dropped a 4-0 decision to top-ranked USC as well as a 4-3 match against Cal in Los Angeles this past Sunday and Monday during the ITA Kickoff Weekend.
• Against Cal, UNLV secured the doubles point before falling into a 3-1 hold following the first three finishes of singles action. Anton Ornberg (6-4, 6-4) and Clayton Alinik (7-5, 7-5) won their singles matches for UNLV in that one.
• Before their 2019-20 season was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Rebels had rolled to a 13-1 start which included a 4-0 triumph over NM State to open dual match action.
• UNLV returns its entire lineup with seniors Alex Kobelt and Eric Samuelsson leading the way.

SCOUTING MONTANA | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• Sitting at the .500 mark after a 1-1 start to their 2021 schedule, the Grizzlies will be looking to secure their second win over a WAC foe when they take on the Aggies. Montana took down Grand Canyon, 6-1, last Saturday (Jan. 23) in Boise, Idaho.
• Ed Pudney has won both of his singles matches for Montana while the Grizzlies' third-flight doubles team of Pontus Hallgren and Moritz Stoeger have won both of their matches thus far.
• Montana was the owner of an 8-3 record which included a 3-0 showing in Big Sky Conference play when the 2020 season was stopped due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• The Grizzlies picked up four of the nine available first-place votes in the 2021 Big Sky Men's Tennis Preseason Poll and were chosen to win the league.
• Hallgren, Pudney and Oisin Shaffrey posted a combined 24-5 record in the spring of 2020.

SCOUTING WEBER STATE | ROSTER | SCHEDULE | STATISTICS
• With one match under its belt already, Weber State heads to Vegas in search of its first wins of 2021.
• The Wildcats found themselves on the wrong end of a 6-1 decision against BYU last Saturday (Jan. 23). Sebastian Buxman produced the only Weber State win in that one when he scored a 7-6, 6-4 victory in third-flight singles action.
• At the time of the cancellation of all NCAA championship events last spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Weber State owned an 8-7 record which included a 3-1 showing in Big Sky Conference action.
• Weber State was picked to finish third in the Big Sky when the league unveiled its 2021 Preseason Poll on January 7.

COMING UP NEXT
• The Aggies will have break of nearly two weeks before their next match. On Saturday, Feb. 13, NM State is set to tangle with Pac-12 foe Arizona State at 1:30 p.m. in Tempe.

++NM State++