SILVER CITY, N.M. – Having lost one home match already due to weather, the Western New Mexico University tennis teams will look forward to their first home matchup this season when McMurry visits on Friday at 10 a.m.


On the men's side, WNMU (5-7) last played on Mar. 14 against Sonoma State. McMurry (5-7), on the other hand, has faced a slew of teams in the past week dating back to Mar. 19 as they have faced five teams. They have wins over Friends (8-1) and Dallas Baptist (9-0), but were defeated by St. Edward's (6-3), Brigham Young-Hawaii (7-2) and most recently on Mar. 26 at home against Colorado Mesa (6-3).


The Mustangs are led by senior Francisco Damasio (Jundiai, Brazil/Centro Educational Sigma ) who is 7-5 in singles action and has five wins in doubles at No. 2 with junior Alvaro Nunez (Madrid, Spain/). Senior Rodrigo Almeida (Arapongas, Brazil/Nene Lourenco High School) and freshman Jean-Laurent Pageault (Perrigny, France/Academi des Hauts de Nimes) are both 5-5 in singles with Almeida playing at the top flight and Pageault mostly at No. 4. Freshman Sascha Brechtel (Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Germany/Kurpfalz Gymnasium Mannheim ) also has five wins (5-6) playing at three, four, five and six. Nunez and junior Juan Pablo Fuentes (Guadalajara, Mexico/) have collected three wins each, while junior Omar Lopez (Naucalpan, Mexico/) also has a singles victory. In doubles, Almeida and Fuentes are 7-3 at the top flight. Lopez and Pageault are 5-2 at No. 3.


On the women's side, WNMU (0-13) has also been off since the California trip as they last played Fresno Pacific on Mar. 13 and fell, 8-1. McMurry is 1-10 and like their men's team, have played lots of matches since Mar. 19. From that time they have a win over Friends (9-0), but have been defeated by Tarleton State (9-0), St. Edward's (5-4), Dallas Baptist (6-3) and most recently on Mar. 26 at home against Colorado Mesa (7-2).


Junior Ganna Tiurina (Kiev, Ukraine/M.M. Gromov #227) and sophomore Claudia Osuna (Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico/Tec Milenio ) are tied for the most singles wins on the team as each have won four. Tiurina has won all of hers at No. 1, while Osuna at No. 3. Junior Marie Monier (Saint Etienne, France/St Paul Forez Montbrison), sophomore Diamond Morrill (Carlsbad, NM/Carlsbad) and freshman Marissa Aguirre (Douglas, AZ/Douglas) also have posted singles victories. In doubles, the combo of Monier and Tiurina at the top flight have a pair of victories. Aguirre and Osuna also have a win at No. 3.


WNMU and McMurry will battle on Friday morning beginning at 10 a.m. at the WNMU Tennis Courts.