BOULDER - In the first Big 12 match since 2011, the Colorado Buffaloes tennis team will host two former conference rivals, Iowa State and Kansas, this weekend at the CU South Tennis Courts.
After 5,055 days, Colorado will take the court for a Big 12 match, and the first time as a ranked team since 2010 after joining the expanded rankings at No. 72 this week. The Buffs start with No. 54 Iowa State on Friday, followed by No. 42 Kansas on Sunday.
"I talked to the team this past weekend about this being the start of the second part of our season," head coach said. "Right now, everything we play is within the conference, and we know every match is critical. There's a lot of great opportunities for us. It's just a matter of us stepping up and trying to take advantage of those."
Not only is this the first conference match, but it is also the first home match in over a month after the Buffs went 3-2 on their five-match road trip.
"It's always nice to be home," Pham said. "You like to play on your home courts, sleep in your own bed, have your own routine. We're looking forward to a good crowd on Friday and Sunday; we'll do our best again to take advantage of the opportunity."
The newly ranked No. 72 Buffs are coming off a tough 4-3 loss to Penn State, now No. 36 in the country, after leading 3-0. The only other loss on the schedule came from No. 47 Illinois, 4-2. The Buffs had chances to win in both losses, and the team is looking to learn from those in the future.
"At the end of the day, you have to execute, and we're putting ourselves in the right position," Pham commented. "There's a lot of belief in this group; they're very resilient. They know what we're capable of. We will continue to put ourselves in that position, and sooner or later, we will push through that door. It's always disappointing to lose close matches, but we're a handful of points away from executing those moments."
The weekend action will start on Friday against No. 54 Iowa State, moving the time to 2:00 p.m. at the CU South Tennis Courts. This will be the first home outdoor match of the season.
Historically, Colorado has controlled the matchup, holding an all-time record of 28-5 against the Cyclones. Since leaving the Big 12, Iowa State won the only matchup in 2021 as part of a three-match winning streak against the Buffs.
Returning to the courts on Sunday at 2:00 p.m., the Buffs will also take on No. 42 Kansas at the CU South Tennis Courts. Before leaving the Big 12, Colorado won five of the last six matches against Kansas and the last overall Big 12 regular season victory on April 11, 2010.