Assistant Coach Arron Spencer takes the lead seat this weekend when the Arizona men’s tennis team travels to Lac Cruces, N.M. to participate in the Aggie Invitational.
Head Coach Tad Berkowitz thinks it’s in the team’s best interest for Spencer to coach this weekend.
“It’s a good opportunity, when we play fall tournaments, to have different coaches go to different events to get an understanding for where the guys are at with their game and what they need to work on,” said Berkowitz.
Spencer looks forward to this weekend’s challenge as he makes his Arizona coaching debut.
“I’m excited about getting on the court with the guys and seeing how they compete,” Spencer said. “Practice has been great but you learn more about the guys when you’re actually out on the court with them.”
The Aggie Invitational has seven total contestants: Arizona, Northern Arizona, Arizona Christian, Abilene Christian, New Mexico, Western New Mexico and New Mexico State. Tournament play runs this Friday through Sunday.
The four Wildcat competitors in last weekend’s Napa Valley Collegiate Invitational, Mario Urquidi, Sumeet Shinde, Kieren Thompson and Naoki Takeda, will take this weekend off.
The four were highly successful in last weekend’s tournament, with the Wildcats winning seven out of 12 matches.
“I thought the guys did a great job [last weekend],” Berkowitz said. “We played against a good level of competition. I was really impressed with how we went out and handled [some of the better teams there]. It was definitely a step in the right direction for us.”
The door has now opened for four other Wildcat athletes to kick off their fall season. The participants will include juniors Robin Chou and Carlos Bermudez and sophomores Matt Dunn and Trevor James.
Trevor James, a transfer from Pacific University, has the chance to make a good first impression in his opening tournament with the Wildcats.
“He’s fitting in well,” Coach Berkowitz said of James. “He’s getting acclimated now to the guys and how we do things as a team. When you play at two different schools, coaches have different ways they run practice. He’s a good athlete and I look forward to seeing how he does this weekend.”
The Arizona women’s team gets back in action Friday, September 27th, where Kim Stubbe and Lacey Smyth will compete in the 2013 Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships Selections.
— Follow Zach Tennen @ZTennen11
