After going 20-7 in the SMU Blue and Red Challenge in Dallas last weekend, the A&M women’s tennis team will travel to Las Vegas Friday to compete in the Fall Rebel Invite.
The team will compete in singles and doubles and will see competition from top-10 caliber teams including Baylor, USC and conference rival LSU. It will be the last tournament the Aggies will play in before the conclusion of the fall season, and A&M head coach Mark Weaver said he is optimistic about the progress his team has made in the past months.
“I really think the last four or five weeks that we’ve really picked up as a group,” Weaver said. “We were able to get some good competition in the last few tournaments, and it never hurts to come out with some wins to help with our confidence.”
This tournament will feature play from junior Rachel Pierson, who returns to the courts after being sidelined for four weeks with a wrist injury. Weaver said having the junior back in action will be helpful for her progress as well as that of the the team this weekend in sin city.
“I’m looking forward to competing this weekend in Vegas,” Weaver said. “She’s come along with some good rehab and we’re expecting her to play. We’re going to have her play singles only this weekend but she’s very eager to get back out in some matches and it will be nice for her to get some matches in before the season is over.”
A&M has had success throughout the fall in both singles and doubles despite a shuffle of doubles teams throughout the season. The SMU Challenge featured a new doubles team in sophomore Eva Paalma and freshman Dominica Gonzalez. With Paalma’s tournament play having finished up before the Rebel Invite, Weaver said he will try another new doubles combination to respond.
“We’re actually going to try a new team with Dominica [Gonzalez] and Ines [Deheza] are going to play together,” Weaver said. “That’s a team that I’m curious to see how they play together. I was pleased with some of the doubles adjustments from day one to day two and three of the [SMU Challenge], and I feel like we were able to correct some things.”
Players such as Paalma whose season have come to an end will head home during the winter break to recuperate and stay in shape until returning to the courts in January. Coach Weaver said as much as the coaches prepare the players in the fall, it is on them to stay sharp during the winter.
“The spring is so strenuous and so stressful even though it’s the most fun part of the year that I like for the girls to be able to freshen up and enjoy the holidays,” Weaver said. “But they have to understand that once they’ve recuperated they have to really work hard so we’re not playing catchup when they get back.”
Beginning Friday, the team will play in a three-day format before returning to College Station to begin its off-season.
