Utah readies for Pac-12 action on home courts

SALT LAKE CITY –  The University of Utah women’s tennis program is set to return home this weekend for a pair of conference matches against UCLA and USC. The Utes will take on the Bruins on Friday, April 5 and the Trojans on Sunday, April 7.


MATCH INFORMATION
Utah (10-6) vs. UCLA (11-4)
DATE | TIME: Friday, April 5 | 1:30 p.m. MT
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, UT | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
LIVE STREAM: Click Here
LIVE STATS: Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @UteWomensTennis


MATCH INFORMATION
Utah (10-6) vs. USC (14-6)
DATE | TIME: Sunday, April 7 | 11:00 a.m. MT
LOCATION: Salt Lake City, UT | George S. Eccles Tennis Center
LIVE STREAM: Click Here
LIVE STATS: Click Here
TWITTER UPDATES: @UteWomensTennis


FIRST SERVE
Returning to the Eccles Tennis Center, Utah will face the UCLA Bruins in a 1:30 p.m. match on Friday, before taking on the USC Trojans at 11 a.m. on Sunday.


LAST TIME OUT
In their last outing, Utah faced No. 4 Stanford on the road. In doubles competition, Kat Lyman and Samantha Horwood claimed a 6-1 victory in the third spot. However, the Utes were unable to fend off Stanford’s efforts in the remaining doubles matches, yielding the doubles point to their Pac-12 opponents. Struggling to gain momentum, Utah was defeated in the first three singles matches and fell to Stanford 4-0. 


IN THE RANKS
The Utes are currently ranked No. 47 in the country, after falling to No. 4 Stanford on the road. Utah’s Marcela Lopez is ranked No. 107 in the country after posting a 8-5 record on the season. In the fall she claimed a runner-up title at the ITA Regionals and made an ITA Championship appearance where she picked up two wins in consolation play. 


HEAD COACH RIC MORTERA
Ric Mortera is in his fifth season as the head coach of the Utah women’s tennis program entering the 2024 spring slate. So far in his tenure he has accumulated a 55-47 overall record. In the 2022-23 season, under Coach Mortera’s leadership, the Utes notched a 13-11 record and topped the ITA Mountain Region rankings. Highlights included their inaugural win against Cal and a remarkable triumph over No. 16 Washington, marking their highest-ranked victory in the Pac-12 era. Also during the 2023 season, Mortera led the Utes to the most Pac-12 wins since 2015. In the Fall 2023 slate, Mortera’s squad found success in the ITA Regionals, with Emma Kamper…