The Pima Men’s Tennis Team’s regular season came to an end after earning second place in the regional tournament on April 23 in Phoenix and securing a spot to the national tournament.
“I think they have done a great job,” said Coach Brian Ramirez. “They have competed as hard as they possibly can and they’ve actually shown a great deal of improvement, individually and as a team.”
The Aztecs return to nationals after being unable to qualify last year. They finished with a 4-2 record in the conference and a 5-2 record overall.
Sophomore Carlos Medina said Coach Ramirez made a huge difference for the team. “He has been keeping our head straight,” Medina said. “He strives us to work on our weaknesses and eventually become better players.”
Medina also talked about the expectations for the tournament. “I look forward to doing our best. I know there are going to be some tough teams, but I’m pretty sure we will be able to do some good things over there and show up for Pima.”
Ramirez wants the team to continue to show in the tournament what it did throughout the season.
“I expect for everyone to do exactly what they have been doing, which is competing as hard as they can and for them to give their full effort,” Ramirez said.
“I expect them to conduct themselves with poise and show some class. This is a very tough event and but they have come a long way. Now they are going to compete in a higher level and we’ll see how they do.”
The NJCAA men’s’ tennis national tournament will take place in Plano, Texas, from May 12-16.