After dropping both matches last weekend, ASU tennis will look to finish the regular season on a high note against Arizona on Senior Day.
Saturday’s Territorial Cup match is the end of the new beginning.
ASU will play its seventh and final conference match of the season Saturday against Arizona. In the team’s first season since 2008, ASU is 13-9 overall and 2-4 in conference.
Despite the losing conference record, ASU is still ranked No. 34 as a result of the Pac-12’s strength.
Last weekend, the Sun Devils lost both of their matches to the L.A. schools. They were defeated by a score of 4-2 Friday versus UCLA and 4-2 on Sunday versus USC.
All things considered, the Sun Devils played really well against second-ranked UCLA.
Arizona State took the doubles point from the Bruins, and Michael Geerts defeated Martin Redlicki, the top-ranked singles player in the nation.
While he is confidence from his last few matches, Geerts said it is important for him to stay focused.
“I think it’s just really important for me to stay focused,” Geerts said. “But I will try to have the same feeling like the last few matches, and hopefully that will translate into really aggressive play on my side.”
In the most recent ITA rankings, Geerts is the No. 20 singles player in the nation. He is also the only senior on this year’s roster, and head coach Matt Hill said he is a key leader to this young team.
“He brings a ton to the team that you can’t really expect a younger player to do,” Hill said. “Obviously he’s an incredible player, so the guys can really look to him.”
This weekend, Arizona State takes on Arizona for Senior Day and the Territorial Cup.
The Wildcats have struggled this season, currently sitting last in the Pac-12 with zero wins in conference play.
This is the first time Arizona and Arizona State have played since 2008, and freshman Will Kirkman said he is excited for his first Territorial Cup.
“It sounds like a really exciting weekend,” Kirkman said. “We try as best we can to win every match we play, but this one’s going to be special. They want to beat us just as bad as we want to beat them, so we’ll see what happens.”
The match is Saturday at 1 p.m. PT and freshman Tim Ruehl said he hopes there is a good turnout.
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“I hope a big crowd is coming out and supporting us,” Ruehl said. “It’s much more fun to play with a crowd behind your back, and it helps you.”
All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.