FORT WORTH, Texas – No. 27 Sun Devil men's tennis begins their postseason push in the Lone Star state, traveling to the Fort Worth Regional hosted by the TCU Horned Frogs. ASU faces off against No. 33 Miami with first serve set for 12 p.m. MST on Friday.
"We don't know Miami very well, but we know they're good," coach Matt Hill said. "We know they're good and they're young like us, so that will be a very difficult first match for sure."
The matchup between the Sun Devils and Hurricanes is the fourth in program history, with ASU holding a 2-1 overall series advantage. The trek to Texas also marks the third-straight postseason berth for the squad dating back to 2008 – including in both years since reinstatement – a feat the team hadn't achieved since making four-straight NCAA tournaments from 2001-04.
"Making the tournament is something special that I take for granted too often because I have such high goals and expectations for these guys," Hill said. "When you stop and think about it through that lens, it's a really cool thing for sure."
"I think it speaks volumes to the players I've trusted and the picture we painted of what we wanted when nothing was here," Hill said. "It also speaks to the guys' level of sacrifice and commitment on a daily basis to try and improve, better themselves and come together as a team."
With a few bumps in the road toward the end, the Sun Devils have gone on a solid 9-5 run since taking down then-No. 13 Michigan the Oracle Collegiate Challenge in March, headlined by a five-match win streak and three wins over opponents ranked by the ITA. Several individuals have also taken off, with Andrea Bolla riding a five-match wins streak into Texas and Justin Roberts winning six of his last eight decisions.
"We've been really happy with how the guys have been playing overall for the last month or so," Hill said. "We've been moving in a really good direction, so we're excited to keep that going this weekend."
The Sun Devils are primed with more experienced this time around compared to last season, returning five lettermen who made the trip to College Station for the First Round in 2018. ASU also added two transfers with a wealth of postseason knowledge for an overall more experienced lineup heading to TCU.
"It's great to have guys that have been there before because it's not new to them anymore," Hill said. "It's huge because last year, you could tell we were a little bit of a deer in headlights when we were there."
Notching a tournament berth in their first season since reinstatement in 2018, ASU's postseason run ended after one match with a tough loss to Baylor. The squad is looking to transfer last season's experience into a deeper run into the tournament this weekend.
"It was like we were almost happy to be at the tournament," Hill said. "This group is certainly not just happy to be there. They want more."
First serve with the Hurricanes is set for 12 p.m. MST on Friday. Fans can keep up with the action all postseason long by following @SunDevilMTennis on Twitter.
"We don't know Miami very well, but we know they're good," coach Matt Hill said. "We know they're good and they're young like us, so that will be a very difficult first match for sure."
The matchup between the Sun Devils and Hurricanes is the fourth in program history, with ASU holding a 2-1 overall series advantage. The trek to Texas also marks the third-straight postseason berth for the squad dating back to 2008 – including in both years since reinstatement – a feat the team hadn't achieved since making four-straight NCAA tournaments from 2001-04.
"Making the tournament is something special that I take for granted too often because I have such high goals and expectations for these guys," Hill said. "When you stop and think about it through that lens, it's a really cool thing for sure."
"I think it speaks volumes to the players I've trusted and the picture we painted of what we wanted when nothing was here," Hill said. "It also speaks to the guys' level of sacrifice and commitment on a daily basis to try and improve, better themselves and come together as a team."
With a few bumps in the road toward the end, the Sun Devils have gone on a solid 9-5 run since taking down then-No. 13 Michigan the Oracle Collegiate Challenge in March, headlined by a five-match win streak and three wins over opponents ranked by the ITA. Several individuals have also taken off, with Andrea Bolla riding a five-match wins streak into Texas and Justin Roberts winning six of his last eight decisions.
"We've been really happy with how the guys have been playing overall for the last month or so," Hill said. "We've been moving in a really good direction, so we're excited to keep that going this weekend."
The Sun Devils are primed with more experienced this time around compared to last season, returning five lettermen who made the trip to College Station for the First Round in 2018. ASU also added two transfers with a wealth of postseason knowledge for an overall more experienced lineup heading to TCU.
"It's great to have guys that have been there before because it's not new to them anymore," Hill said. "It's huge because last year, you could tell we were a little bit of a deer in headlights when we were there."
Notching a tournament berth in their first season since reinstatement in 2018, ASU's postseason run ended after one match with a tough loss to Baylor. The squad is looking to transfer last season's experience into a deeper run into the tournament this weekend.
"It was like we were almost happy to be at the tournament," Hill said. "This group is certainly not just happy to be there. They want more."
First serve with the Hurricanes is set for 12 p.m. MST on Friday. Fans can keep up with the action all postseason long by following @SunDevilMTennis on Twitter.