LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – The UNLV women's tennis team heads to Malibu, California, this weekend to open its dual-match schedule at the 11th annual ITA Kick-Off Weekend event.
 
The Rebels, coming off a strong showing at the Freeman Memorial Championships, will face No. 7-ranked host Pepperdine starting at 10 a.m. PT Saturday. The other match at Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center will see Oregon face Denver starting at 1 p.m.
 
The two winners will face off at 1 p.m. on Sunday after the two losing teams play a consolation match starting at 10 a.m. Live streaming video and scoring is available by visiting www.PepperdineWaves.com.
 
The ITA Kick-Off Weekend takes place Jan. 25-28, at 24 different Division I tennis facilities across the country. There are 15 regionals being played on both the men's and women's side, with four teams competing in each. The winners advance to next month's ITA Division I National Team Indoor Championships hosted by Washington (women's) and Illinois (men's).
 
The Rebels are led by senior standout Aiwen Zhu who boasts a career record of 27-4 while playing at the No. 1 spot in the singles lineup. At last year's Kick-Off, UNLV nearly upset host Cal in the first round before upsetting Mississippi State in a 4-3 thriller during the consolation match.