Following two hefty losses to San Diego State and a promising 7-0 win against Point Loma Nazarene, UC San Diego men’s tennis (1-2, 0-0 Big West) hoped to sharpen its skills in its exhibition matchup against the University of Calgary Dinos. The Tritons happily opened their courts to the Canadian team, hosting their first-ever foreign opponents. UCSD dominated the ensuing matches, going undefeated against the Dinos to win 7-0.
The Tritons started strong in their initial doubles matchups. On the No. 1 court, senior Pelayo Rodriguez and junior Zach Pellouchoud quickly executed a consecutive dismantling of the Dinos. The duo carried on with the set, strategizing between games to strengthen their advantage.
After gaining an early lead, the Tritons remained in control. The two whizzed the ball across the court and scurried for big defensive plays, overpowering the Dino-duo in the process. One notable play was when Rodriguez received the ball from the baseline and called to Pellouchoud in the forecourt; Pellouchoud quickly ducked as Rodriguez sent a yellow blur flying over his head for a point.
“We’re not afraid to tell each other when we’re doing something right or wrong,” Pellouchoud said. “I think the key to our doubles is our good communication and understanding of how each other’s minds work.”
Owing in large part to their camaraderie, Rodriguez and Pellouchoud won their match 4-2, helping UCSD secure its doubles success. The pair’s triumph was followed by sophomore Carson Lee’s similarly commanding singles match, which he won 2-0 in consecutive 6-1 sets. Lee’s hyperfocused performance showcased a skill set similar to his teammates, which Pellouchoud attributes to their offseason conditioning program.
“[Our team] had a really physical fall; we spent a lot of time conditioning ourselves and kept up with our fitness throughout finals season and winter break. Now that we’re transitioning from fall to spring, we feel mentally and physically prepared,” Pellouchoud said.
Despite Lee’s dominant match against his opponent, there were still moments that got the better of him. During the first set, the Calgary player hit a clean drop shot by the net, forcing Lee to sprint from the backline to prevent a second bounce; the Dino then zipped the ball past Lee’s racket to take the point. In the following games, Lee recovered from his missteps and handily defeated the Dino through a mix of slides, grunts, volleys, and slams, earning his team a point in the process.
With another 7-0 victory in the books, Pellouchoud proudly reflected on the Tritons’ efforts leading up to the season. When asked about the team’s greatest strength leading up to this point, he said, “Being able to mentally push ourselves. The coaches have been really awesome, and they’ve been pushing us a lot, but we also put in time without them.”
However, Pellouchoud also understood that there is ample room for improvement, noting that the team’s two losses to SDSU earlier in the season are a clear reminder.
“Skill-wise, we’re there, but mentally, we’re a little bit behind, but I think that aspect just comes with experience and more matches,” he said.
The Tritons’ next three away matches — from Jan. 31 through the following weekend — have been postponed due to the stormy weather conditions in Northern California. New match dates against Santa Clara, the University of the Pacific, and Sacramento State are yet to be announced.
