Young Anteaters Find Oasis in Treacherous Schedule
_rotator.jpg?max_width=500)
UPCOMING MATCHES
Home matches in BOLD
No matches this week
The road to a third straight Big West title has been rough so far with five ranked opponents in the rear-view. UCI now has two weeks off before they start conference action.
LAYAWAY: The No. 47 Anteaters are going on an unprecedented 17-day layoff here early in the season. The longest breaks the team has seen in recent years has been 12 or 13 days off.
The break can only be a good thing for the young 'Eaters who have relied on three freshmen to carry the brunt of the load for the team.
Each one has made a positive impact, however, especially Jacob Jung (Upland / Options for Youth HS). Jung stepped right in to the No. 4 slot and been competitive. He is 2-1 in his matches to this point including a great come-from-behind win against UNLV's Schoeman in which he dropped the first set, 6-2, and rebounded to win 7-5 in sets two and three. Even in his one unfinished matches against Alabama, Jung was a game away from splitting the first two sets with the No. 91-ranked player in the nation.
Jung has been flanked by two more gritty freshmen in Mika DeCoster (Ladera Ranch / Laurel Springs HS) and Shuhei Shibahara (Rancho Palos Verdes / Peninsula HS) . Shibahara has struggled in singles play unable to find the win column, but has played well and tough. He and Jung had a crucial win together in doubles action as well as challenging doubles pairs from ninth-ranked UCLA and 35th-ranked Fresno State.
DeCoster has dealt with some ailments early on, but has excelled in singles play. He was the clinching point for the 'Eaters against UNLV, and was on his way to a win against Fresno State before his match was cut short at 7-6,5-3.
A rest at this point in the season is crucial, especially for the young freshman. Many times, players hit a wall late in the season when running through a weekly schedule of opponents and almost always during a crucial late-season conference run. This break could be the added boost the team needs going when things get going in April.
ON THE ROAD AGAIN: UC Irvine has a limited supply of home matches this year. Its match on the 20th will complete its first of just three back-to-back home matches. The 'Eaters schedule has a lot of upcoming travel on it.
After the Big West opener, UCI will hop around the Pacific Northwest with matches on three consecutive days in the state of Oregon. It will then return to California for a neutral site match against Rice before heading back home. This trip is one that may be the beneficiary of the 17-day layoff coming up for the 'Eaters.
The 'Eaters make another trip to San Diego in the SDSU/USD invitational for three days with a possible grudge match with the Aztecs.
______________________________________________________________________
For UC Irvine Athletics ticket information, please call (949) 824-5000 or e-mail athletics.tickets@uci.edu. For more information click here.
For information on how you can help support UC Irvine Athletics, please call (949) 824-6933 or e-mail aaf@uci.edu. For additional information, click here.
