Cats Get First-Round Bye at WAC Men's Tourney

ABILENE, Texas – Abilene Christian earned a first-round bye and will play its first match of the 2023 Western Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Tournament at noon on Friday.
 
ACU rolls into the tournament at 4-1 against the WAC and 13-10 overall and faces the winner of the match between third-seeded Grand Canyon and sixth-seeded New Mexico State.
 
The Arlington Tennis Center hosts the tournament.
 
The Wildcats beat GCU 5-2 and New Mexico State 6-1 in the regular-season matchups.
 
Dario Kmet comes into the tournament at 5-0 against the conference at No. 1 singles. Cesar Barranquero (No. 4 singles) and Mihaly Deli (No. 6) are both 4-1 against the WAC.
 
Barranquero leads ACU with 11 singles wins with Kmet and Deli following with 10 each.
 
Savan Chhabra and Ethan Scribner are 14-6 as a doubles tandem, including a 4-1 record against WAC opponents.
 
GCU is 6-13 overall and 2-3 versus the WAC. Alfred Amasi and David Wekesa have produced winning records in league singles play.
 
NMSU is 3-17 on the season and 1-4 against the WAC but that league win was a 4-3 victory over GCU. The Aggies are led by Luca Fe D'Ostiani, who is 3-1, largely at sixth singles, against the WAC. His lone conference loss was at No. 5 singles to ACU's Benjamin McDonald.
 
Thursday's other first-round matchup pits Seattle against Texas-Rio Grande Valley. That winner plays top-seeded Texas-Arlington on Friday.
 
2023 WAC Men's Tennis Tournament
Arlington Tennis Center, Arlington, Texas
Thursday, April 27– Men's First Round
No. 4 Seattle U vs. No. 5 UTRGV – 3 p.m. CT
No. 3 Grand Canyon vs No. 6 NM State – 3 p.m. CT
 
Friday, April 28– Men's Semifinals
No. 1 UT Arlington vs. Match 1 Winner – noon CT
No. 2 Abilene Christian vs Match 2 Winner – 12 p.m. CT
 
Saturday, April 29– Men's Championship
Match 3 Winner vs. Match 4 Winner – noon CT