EDITOR'S NOTE: Due to expected high-winds in the Las Cruces area time changes are as follows for the matches below in bold:
Friday, March 25
-Chicago State vs. Grand Canyon – 8:30 a.m. (front courts)
-UMKC vs. Seattle U – 8:30 a.m. (back courts)
-UTRGV at NM State – Noon

Saturday, March 26
-Grand Canyon at NM State – 9 a.m. (front courts)
-UTRGV vs. Seattle U – 9 a.m. (back courts)

LAS CRUCES, N.M. – The New Mexico State men's tennis team is set to begin Western Athletic Conference play on Thursday, March 24, when it hosts the first WAC cluster of the season at the NMSU Tennis Center.
 
WAC CLUSTER SCHEDULE
NMSU Tennis Center | All Times MOUNTAIN
Thursday, March 24
-UMKC vs. Chicago State – 9:30 a.m. (front courts)
-UTRGV vs. Grand Canyon – 9:30 a.m. (back courts)
-Seattle U at NM State – 1 p.m.
 
Friday, March 25
-Chicago State vs. Grand Canyon – 8:30 a.m. (front courts)
-UMKC vs. Seattle U – 8:30 a.m. (back courts)
-UTRGV at NM State – Noon p.m.
 
Saturday, March 26
-Grand Canyon at NM State – 10 a.m. (front courts)
-UTRGV vs. Seattle U – 10 a.m. (back courts)
 
GETTING STREAKY
The NM State men's tennis team is starting to find its groove at the right time with conference play set to begin this week. The Aggies have won three-straight matches, including four of its last six.
 
New Mexico State is led by freshman Enrique Asmar, who rocks a 16-10 overall record in singles play and 6-6 mark in dual action. His six dual wins are tied for the most on the team with fellow freshmen Stijn de Haan (6-6) and Mauri Benitez (6-7).  Asmar has predominantly played at the No. 6 position (5-4) and is 1-1 when playing one spot up at No. 5.
 
Sophomore sensation Christofer Goncalves is second on the team with a 15-9 mark in singles action and 5-7 record in dual play. Goncalves is 5-5 at the No. 2 slot where he normally plays and 0-1 when playing at the top or No. 3 spot.
 
Next on the team is de Haan, who sports a 14-11 record in singles play. The lanky 6-4 freshman is 6-3 when playing in the No. 4 singles position and 0-3 when playing at the third spot. He has also won his last four doubles contests, and five of his last six with teammate Liam Goldberg.
 
Goldberg is next on the list with a 13-7 mark in singles action. The senior has also won five –straight matches in doubles play, with the start of his streak coming with Benitez before winning his next four with de Haan.  The two are a perfect 4-0 in dual play together.
 
Last, but not least, is senior Strahinja Trecakov who enters this weekend with a 12-14 record in singles. Trecakov and teammate Goncalves have the most wins in dual play at 5-5, all of which have come at the No. 1 doubles slot.
 
EYEING THE COMPETITION
Up first for the Aggies will be Seattle U at 1:30 p.m. (MT) on Thursday, March 24. The Redhawks are riding a five-match winning-streak and have won seven of their last eight matches. SU's only loss during that stretch was to Idaho State, 4-3, in the second match in as many days against the Bengals.
 
Connor Leahy leads Seattle U with a 14-8 record in singles and 12-3 mark in dual play. Leahy splits time between the No. 3 (4-0), No. 4 (3-1) and No. 5 (5-2) positions and have won nine of his last 10 contests. Michael Schoettler is 9-8 on the year and 8-6 in dual play. Matt Alderson, Jeremiah Kalmus and John Stormans each have eight wins apiece in singles play for SU. Leahy and Stormans hold a team-best 12-6 overall mark in doubles play and 10-4 in dual play.
 
Next up for NM State will be UT Rio Grande Valley at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, March 25. The Vaqueros enter this week's conference cluster with an 8-10 record overall and 3-6 when playing on the road and 2-3 when playing a neutral site match.  UTRGV has lost its last two matches, and has lost four of its last five matches.
 
Juan Cruz Soria, who plays at the No. 1 singles position, paces UTRGV with a 16-8 record in singles play and 10-4 mark in dual action. Elliot Johnston (11-11) and Koby Jansen (11-10) are the only other players with double-digit wins for the Vaqueros with 11 wins apiece. Johnson is 9-5 in dual action while Jansen is 8-5. Soria and Jansen team up for a 10-7 record in doubles play and 5-4 mark in dual matches.
 
New Mexico State will wrap up its hosting duties of the conference cluster with Grand Canyon at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 26. The 'Lopes are currently 8-6 on the year and 2-3 when playing on the road. GCU is also 2-2 when playing in neutral matches, which the 'Lopes will have to play before they take on the Aggies on Saturday.
 
GCU has a trio of players in Alexander Roggenkam (8-6), Mathieu Rojaonah and Felix Schueller with eight wins so far in dual action. Mitch Maroscher, who plays at the No. 1 singles position, is 6-7 on the year, while Justin Cvitanovic is 6-1 at the No. 6 slot. Roggenkamp and Schueller have the most wins for GCU in doubles action at 5-6, all at the top doubles position. Adrian Legarreta and Maroscher are second on the team with a 4-4 record in dual play at No. 2 doubles. Two other tandems have two wins, while four other tandems have yet to register a dual win.