Malibu, Calif.— This Sunday, the UC Riverside Men's Tennis Team (14-13) will take a break from conference as the Highlanders head out for a road matchup with the Pepperdine Waves (4-12). UCR has found success in away matches this season boasting a 6-3 record on the road, while Pepperdine has struggled at home losing four of its six dual matches in Malibu.

LAST MATCH
The Highlanders fell in their last dual match to conference opponent Cal Poly 6-1, but have won 10 of their last 13 matches taking two 7-0 wins over Concordia Irvine and Hampton and a dominant 9-0 win over Methodist.

McCANN's THE MAN
Yesterday, junior Kyle McCann collected his second career Big West Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week honor following a productive east coast roadtrip. UCR has now taken the weekly honors three times this season.

McCann helped the Highlanders to a 5-1 record on the trip that resulted in wins over North Carolina A&T, Methodist, Hampton, Norfolk State and North Carolina Central.

Playing between No. 2 and No. 3 singles, McCann reeled off six straight singles victories, including four in three sets.  He had a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Norfolk State's Flavian Fernandez in a 4-3 team triumph.

WIth partner Filip Engstrom at No. 2 doubles, McCann registered a 5-1 record.  They eked out a 7-6 (4) win over North Carolina Central's Gabriel Cucalon and Sebastian Bromley.


PAWEL CAN BALL
After leading the team to a 3-0 mark last weekend, freshman Pawel Jankowiak was named Big West Player of the Week for the first time in his career. 

Jankowiak notched six victories in singles and doubles playing court one in every match for the Highlanders.

The freshman defeated his first two opponents in straight sets topping Youngstown State's Joao Garretto (6-3, 6-3) and Boston University's Satyajit Simhad (6-1, 6-1).  He then overcame a first set deficit to upend Villanova's Stefan Suarez by scores of 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 to secure his spot as the No. 1 player in UCR's singles lineup.

With doubles partner, Vignesh Subramanyan, Jankowiak also went 3-0 at No. 1 doubles.  The freshman duo toppled Villanova's Thomas Dodson and Tyler Roth, 6-2.

RAQUETS? OR BROOMS?
Six of UC Riverside's wins this season have been perfect sweeps in which the team won the doubles point and all six singles matches. Five of UCR's sweeps were 7-0 wins over Hope International, Westmont, Biola, Concordia Irvine, and Hampton. The team's most recent sweep was a 9-0 win over Methodist.

NABIL IS REAL
Nabil Abdallah was named Big West Men's Tennis Athlete of the Week for his play against Westmont and UC San Diego on Saturday, January 27 (Recap). Abdallah is undefeated in singles at the No. 4 position (5-0), and is 4-1 in #3 doubles with partner Anderson Ju.

NEW YEAR, NEW RECORD
Head Coach Mattias Johansson returns for his third season with the Highlanders. In his first year, the Highlanders won a Division I program record 13 matches, went 10-5 at home, and saw seniors Julian Ruffin and Sean Robles named All-Conference Honorable Mention. In Johansson's second year at UC Riverside, the Highlanders set a new Division I program record with 14 match wins and went 9-7 at home.