CHICAGO – While Chicagoans work their way through the last remnants of winter, the DePaul men’s tennis team will spend the weekend in sun-splashed Las Vegas where the thermometer will hover between 69 and 73 degrees.
It’s another opportunity for the Blue Demons to train and compete outdoors in preparation for next month’s BIG EAST Championships in Cayce, S.C.
Coach Matt Brothers has a brought his team to Corpus Christi, Texas and Charlotte, N.C. in the last three weeks getting his players acclimated to the outdoor game.
The opening match in the Entertainment Capital of the World is set for Saturday against a UNLV team that started out 4-0 before losing seven in a row. Included in the tough stretch are setbacks to ITA No. 17-ranked Arizona, No. 31 California and No. 41 SMU.
The Rebels are led by singles standout Christopher Bulus who is 11-4 and ranked No. 76 in the country by the Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. UNLV is 4-1 on its home court, Fertitta Tennis Complex.
Reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year Vito Tonejc will likely match up against Bulus. Tonejc had won his first 10 dual matches of the spring season before falling last weekend to No. 49 Charlotte’s No. 1 singles player.
Overall, Tonejc is 18-7 while freshman Matteo Iaquinto is 15-9 and classmate Marino Jakic is 8-4 in the dual season and 13-11 overall.
Tonejc and Jakic form the Blue Demons’ top doubles team with a sparking 9-3 dual record, 14-7 overall. Lars Peder Minsaas and Luuk Wassenaar are 5-2 in duals and 7-4 overall.
Sunday will find the “Band of Brothers” taking on Seattle at Fertitta Tennis Complex. The Redhawks got off to a 0-5 start and have gone 4-7 since including wins over Oral Roberts, Eastern Washington and Pacific.
Results and recaps can be accessed at depaulbluedemons.com.