April 1, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The 58th-ranked Penn State men's tennis team (12-4, 1-1) will travel to No. 44 Minnesota and No. 73 Iowa this weekend. The Nittany Lions will face Minnesota on Friday, April 2, with a 3 p.m. first serve and Iowa on Sunday, April 4, beginning at 10 a.m. The Minnesota match can be followed via a live stats link on GoPSUSports.com.
Last Time Out: Penn State suffered its first Big Ten loss on March 28 with a 7-0 setback to the No. 3 Ohio State Buckeyes. Despite changes in Penn State's doubles lineup, the Buckeyes were able to win all three doubles matches in close fashion. From there, Ohio State won all six singles bouts to seal the 7-0 victory.
Scouting Minnesota: The 44th-ranked Golden Gophers head into this weekend's match with an 8-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in conference play. Minnesota's talented lineup features two ranked singles players. Sebastian Gallego, ranked 66th in the latest ITA Rankings, carries a 7-5 record in singles action, including 4-4 when playing in the No. 1 bout. Tobias Wernet enters the match with Penn State ranked 105th. Wernet has seen most of his time in the No. 2 bout, carrying an overall record of 8-6. Gallego and Phillip Arndt are ranked 27th in the latest doubles rankings.
All-Time vs. Golden Gophers: Penn State holds a 6-15 all-time record vs. the Golden Gophers. Last season, Minnesota downed Penn State, 5-2, at the Sarni Tennis Center. Penn State last defeated Minnesota on March 28, 2008 with a 6-1 victory over the Gophers.
Scouting Iowa: The 73rd-ranked Hawkeyes head into this weekend at 9-5 with a 1-1 record in conference play. Marc Bruche leads the way for the Hawkeyes as he plays primarily the No. 1 spot for Iowa. The Hawkeyes are playing some of their best tennis right now, as they have won three of their last four dual matches.
All-Time vs. the Hawkeyes: Penn State holds an 11-10 edge all-time vs. Iowa. Last year, Penn State picked up a 4-3 victory over the Hawkeyes on the University Park campus. The Nittany Lions last lost to Iowa on April 16, 2006 in a 5-2 loss in Iowa City.
What's Next: Following this weekend, the Nittany Lions will return to Happy Valley on April 9 to begin a five-match homestand with Michigan. Penn State will then square off with Michigan State and Bloomsburg on April 11. Admission to all Penn State tennis matches is free.