SILVER CITY, N.M. -- No. 23-ranked Midwestern State seeks a fourth consecutive victory as it plays its first dual match in two weeks. The Mustangs begin their final three-week stretch of the regular season on Friday with their fourth all-time appearance at Western New Mexico. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. CDT.

Midwestern State, which is 7-7 overall this season, is 2-0 in the Lone Star Conference after defeating St. Mary's, 5-2, in San Antonio on March 22.

Stephen Slocombe clinched the dual-match victory for MSU with a 6-2, 5-7, 6-2 win over senior Jake Faryniarz at No. 3 singles. The junior from Bardados won his fourth consecutive completed match and improved to 3-1 in three-set matches.

The Mustangs have won the doubles point in seven of 14 dual matches and are 19-17 in doubles matches this season.

Slocombe and Luis Diaz Argente are No. 5 in the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings for doubles teams. The duo is 7-4 at No. 1 doubles for the Mustangs and won their match against Western New Mexico at No. 2 doubles last season, 6-2.

Diaz has made six consecutive appearances at No. 1 singles and earned his third consecutive victory with a 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 win over Alvaro Soler of St. Mary's. The senior from Spain is ranked No. 48 among NCAA Division II singles players and is 6-5 this season.

Slocombe has a four-match winning streak in singles for the Mustangs. The junior from Barbados is 6-3 at No. 4 singles and improved to 1-2 at No. 3 singles with his win in San Antonio two weeks ago.

Germano Setti, who is No. 55 among Division II singles players, has a three-match winning streak at No. 2 singles after breezing past Nicolas Llosa of St. Mary's, 6-0, 6-1. The sophomore from Brazil is 4-2 in the No. 2 position and 6-8 in singles overall this season, including eight appearances at No. 1 singles.

Philip Kamara is 2-0 in conference matches and is coming off a 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over Daniel Matheu Baldor of St. Mary's, improving to 4-1 in the No. 6 position for the Mustangs.

Midwestern State is 9-1 all-time in dual matches against Western New Mexico and has won the last seven meetings, winning 41 of 50 dual-match points in that span. MSU won its last visit, 6-1, and swept its way to a 7-0 victory at MSU Tennis Center last year.

Western New Mexico is 5-13 overall this season with a 1-4 record in the Lone Star Conference. The Western Mustangs upended Dallas Baptist, 4-3, on March 23, but since then they have lost three straight dual matches. WNMU was swept at Arkansas-Fort Smith, 7-0. Southeastern Oklahoma State defeated the Western Mustangs in Durant, Oklahoma, 5-2. Cameron dismantled the visitors from Silver City, 6-1.

Western New Mexico is hosting a dual match for just the third time this season and is 1-1 on home soil.

Mohjit Grewal, a freshman from Germany, has been the most consistent performer for WNMU this season. Grewal has won two of his last three singles matches, including a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Iban Martin-Legay of Cameron last week. Grewal is 5-6 at No. 5 singles for the Western Mustangs.
Western New Mexico has played Alexandre Frigout, Romain Malhomme and Javier Romero at No. 1 singles, and they are a combined 2-8. The same three players have a combined 3-8 record at No. 2 singles. WNMU is 2-9 at No. 4 singles and 1-3 in the No. 6 position.

Western New Mexico has only the doubles point twice this season and has not won a set in doubles in its last five dual matches.

Midwestern State travels to UT Permian Basin for a dual match on Saturday. First serve at Bush Tennis Center in Midland, Texas, is scheduled for noon.
 

--MSUMustangs.com--