Marshall University Athletics
Herd Tennis Ventures to Virginia
2/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 21, 2006
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. - The Marshall University tennis team is set to take on its second ranked opponent of the season Wednesday when it heads to Charlottesville, Va., to take on the No. 70 ranked Virginia Cavaliers at 3 p.m.
Marshall, ranked No. 64, is 8-1 on the season and has won six straight after falling to No. 13 ranked Kentucky 5-2 earlier in the year. The Herd defeated Penn State and St. John's last weekend.
Virginia is 5-1 on the season and comes in ranked No. 70 in the latest ITA poll. Virginia downed Virginia Tech 6-1 in its last outing. The Cavaliers lone setback came by way of a 4-3 loss to No. 56 Penn.
The Herd comes into the match 0-6 all-time against the Cavaliers including a 5-2 win for Virginia at the Huntington Tennis Club.
"This is going to be another challenging match for us that we've been looking forward to playing," Marshall head coach John Mercer said. "Virginia has always been a tough team that we haven't been able to beat. We hope to go down there and play well this year and continue to improve as we get deeper into the season and the schedule gets tougher."
This year's matchup should prove to be another difficult one for the Herd as the Cavaliers are reloaded and have a new head coach, one that is very familiar to Marshall. Former Kenutcky head coach Mark Guilbeau took over the program this year and looks to build the Cavaliers into a national powerhouse like he did at UK. Marshall lost to Guilbeau and the Wildcats twice in 2005, including a 4-0 loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Match time is set for 3 p.m. in Charlottesville, Va., at the Indoor Tennis Stadium at the Boar's Head Sports Club.
