AGGIE INVITATIONAL
WHEN: Friday, Sept. 27 - Sunday, Sept. 29
WHERE: Marya Welch Tennis Center // Davis, Calif.
WHO: Fresno State, Holy Names, Nevada, Pacific, Portland, Sacramento State, St. Mary's, Santa Clara, Sonoma State, UC Davis
MORE INFO: Draws TBD
DAVIS, Calif. —UC Davis men's tennis will kick off the fall season with it's home tournament, hosting the Aggie Invitational for the eighth consecutive year. The weekend's play is set to begin on Friday morning, with the final rounds scheduled for Sunday.
With a roster of nine, three are newcomers and six are returning from the 2018-19 squad that finished the year 12-11 overall and recorded the program's best start.
"We have three really good new players — Andrei Volgin, Mitchell Davis, and Brett Brinkman," said head coach Eric Steidlmayer, who enters his eighth year at the helm of Aggie tennis.
"We're excited about all three. The big thing they need to do is learn the college game and be able to compete at this level. They're already getting a taste of it at our practice and at the retreat in the mountains, and they'll start going full force at the Aggie Invite this weekend."
The Aggies have enjoyed a successful tenure at the Marya Welch Tennis Center, posting a 51-21 dual record at home during Steidlmayer's time as head coach.
"If you look across any college sport — and tennis is no different — home court matters," continued Steidlmayer. "To be able to play at your own place at a high comfort level, especially with the first tournament of the year, that's a big deal. So for us, everyone's excited to try to make a name for themselves. And to do it on our own courts is just fun."
Looking ahead through the fall season, the Aggies are in action in six tournaments, highlighted by David Goulak and Ivan Thamma's qualification to the Saint Francis Health System All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla. beginning Oct. 5. The duo earned a spot in the qualifying bracket of doubles, and each got into the prequalifying rounds of singles.
"First off, we're really excited for David and Ivan. They had a tremendous year last year and that's why they get to go to the All-American tournament this year. Their upper end is very good. If you beat the No. 1 team from USC and you beat the No. 1 from Stanford last year, you have the upper end. They just have to improve the intensity and make sure the consistency of the focus is the same every day. We think they can do very well there, and we also know they could possibly lose first round, but we think very highly of them."
Beyond just the dynamic duo of Thamma and Goulak, who are on track to set program doubles win records, the rest of the team is chomping at the bit for season to get underway.
Junior Arjith Jayaraman led the 2019 stat board with a 17-14 overall singles record, including an impressive team-best 12-6 dual showing. Juniors Chethan Swanson and Thamma, along with sophomore Daniel Landa and Goulak all posted double-digit overall singles wins. Swanson and junior Dariush Jalali are the next-best returning doubles pair after Goulak and Thamma, recording a team-best four wins at No. 3 doubles, including a 7-6(4) tiebreak win over USC's No. 3 pair.
"I'm excited for the fall," remarked Steidlmayer. "We have a really tough schedule. We have a lot of matches to play, and it's a great chance for everyone to improve."
More information on the Aggie Invitational can be found at UCDavisAggies.com, or through the team's Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram accounts later this week.
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
