LAS CRUCES – The New Mexico State men’s tennis team travels to Lubbock, Texas to face No. 29 Texas Tech Sunday, March 1, at 9:00 a.m. MT at the McLeod Tennis Complex.

The Aggies enter the match coming off three-straight sweeps at home last weekend and an 8-1 overall record.

“We’re excited to be playing such a great team,” head coach Don Ball said. “This is by far the best team that we’ve played this season and we’ll be tested.”

New Mexico State is off to its best start under Ball and although currently unranked, were No. 75 two weeks ago.

The Aggies have been solid across the singles and doubles board this year. NM State has a 47-7 singles record this year and a 19-8 doubles mark.

Junior Gustave Diep is a perfect 9-0 entering this weekend playing at positions 2-4. Sophomore Jim Brouleau is 8-1 on the year and has won his last four match-ups. He is likely to face the Red Raiders No. 1 player in freshman Raony Carvalho, who is ranked No. 34 in the nation.

Sophomore Arthur Surreaux has also won his last four matches and senior Roman Stoisavljevic is 5-2 on the year with a win over a ranked opponent.

The bottom of the lineup has been a key to NM State’s hot start this year. At positions 4-6, the Aggies have gone 23-4 with the rotation of Surreaux, freshman Matej Stakne, senior Stefan McKinney and junior Eduardo Salas.

Last season Texas Tech defeated NM State 6-1 in Las Cruces. Stoisavljevic picked up the only team point in the loss with his No. 2 singles victory over Sinisa Markovic, who is a senior this year with a 3-2 record.

Stoisavljevic and Salas, NM State’s No. 56 ranked doubles team, defeated TTU’s top doubles team last year that was ranked No. 2 in the nation at the time. The Aggies’ top doubles duo will have their hands full once again this year as Carvalho and Christian Rojmar are ranked No. 17 in the nation with a 3-2 record. Stoisavljevic and Salas are 6-2 together this fall, but have yet to face a nationally ranked opponent.

Texas Tech is 2-3 overall this year and faces No. 39 TCU in its home opener the day before meeting the Aggies. All five of the opponents the Red Raiders have faced this year have been ranked. TTU has gone 11-16 in singles matches and 8-7 in doubles play this year.