MALIBU, Calif. – The Pepperdine men's tennis team opens its 2019 dual season on Saturday with a doubleheader against Fresno State and Abilene Christian.
WHEN/WHERE: The match against Fresno State will be held first at noon, with the match against Abilene Christian starting at 5:30 pm. Both matches will be held at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center in Malibu.
SERIES VS. FRESNO STATE: The Waves are 22-2 all-time against Fresno State, winning the past 15 matches against the Bulldogs, dating from 1997 to 2012.
SERIES VS. ABILENE CHRISTIAN: The Waves won the only meeting between the two teams, a 7-0 rout in 2012.
NEXT UP: After the doubleheader, the Waves will be back in action Saturday, February 2 when they travel to Tempe to take on Arizona State.
ROSTER: The Waves are bringing back three members of last year's squad in Garapedian, Sborowitz and
Felipe Galvao. Schaechterle brought in two transfers, Jankowiak and
Adrian Oetzbach (Velbert, Germany) from UC Riverside and Oklahoma respectively, and two freshman in Rico and Tim Zeitvogel from Germany.
PEPPERDINE TENNIS: The Pepperdine men's tennis program has been a dominating entity in the West Coast Conference, and reached the pinnacle of its sport by capturing the 2006 NCAA championship. The Waves rolled to 20 consecutive WCC Tournament titles between 1991 and 2010 and 43 overall since 1958, while none of their competitors have won more than seven league crowns. All-time, the program has won more than 72 percent of its matches, posting a 1,163-431 record since statistics were first kept in 1958. After reaching the NCAA finals matches in 1982 and 1986, the third time was the charm for the Waves in 2006. Under head coach Adam Steinberg, the Waves reached the NCAA final and broke through for its first national championship in men's tennis with a 4-2 victory over top-ranked and previously unbeaten Georgia in Palo Alto, Calif. The program boasts 83 All-American Selections and 16 West Coast Conference Players of the Year.
ABOUT PEPPERDINE: Pepperdine boasts a one-of-a-kind athletic department with unprecedented success for a school of its size. The Waves have won NCAA Division I Championships in five different men's sports — one of just 18 schools to have accomplished this feat — and nine overall. Of this elite group, Pepperdine has the smallest undergraduate enrollment, is the only school without football and is the only university that has not been affiliated with a "major" conference. The Waves have won a total of 25 team or individual national championships in their history. Pepperdine has also earned the Division I-AAA All-Sports Trophy, an award based on postseason success that's given to the top non-football school, three times (most recently in 2011-12). Located in scenic Malibu, Calif., the university overlooks the Pacific Ocean and its campus and athletic facilities are regularly voted among the nation's most beautiful. Pepperdine, which is affiliated with the Church of Christ, ranks No. 46 overall on U.S. News and World Report's list of America's best colleges.
FOLLOW: Follow @PeppTennis on Facebook and Twitter for immediate updates, results and more. Go to PepperdineWaves.com for all information, releases and schedules.
