Jan. 26, 2006

LAS VEGAS - The UNLV women's tennis team hosts in-state rival Nevada, Reno on Friday to begin the season's opening weekend of play.

The Lady Rebels, ranked 41st in the nation, will face the unranked Wolf Pack starting at 1 p.m. at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on campus.

UNLV will then host New Mexico State on Saturday and Weber State on Sunday with both matches beginning at 10 a.m. Admission to all matches is free.

The Lady Rebels, who are led by eighth-ranked Elena Gantcheva, return four of six starters from last spring's team that finished 14-9 and earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Championship field.

Head Coach Kevin Cory, who begins his seventh season leading the program, welcomes only one newcomer, freshman Nikol Dimitrova, to his young but experienced roster that only boasts one senior, Cindy Treber.

"When you lose two top seniors, you have to regroup and get ready for the battles," Cory said. "However, we have an experienced group back. The key is to stay healthy and motivated. If we can do that, good things will happen."