DENVER – It seems strange, but it is the nature of college tennis that what happens in September can mean a lot come May.
 
The MSU Denver men's and women's tennis teams are back in action this weekend with multiple regional matches that carry some weight.
 
"It's definitely the biggest weekend of the fall for us," MSU Denver coach Josh Graetz said. "The men and women are both excited about the teams we're going to compete against this weekend. They are coming to Colorado from out of state, so it gives us a chance to play against some regional schools."
 
First, on Thursday, the women play host to the University of Nebraska at Kearney in a 2 p.m. match at the Regency Athletic Complex.
 
"Kearney always seems to have gotten the edge over us the last few years (UNK has won four years in a row and has won 11 in a row in the series)," Graetz said. "It's a really good match for our women to play. I think we're in a better spot than we've ever been, so we should go in there really confident."
 
Then, over the weekend, both MSU Denver teams travel to the CSU-Pueblo Duals.
 
On Friday, both teams play Dallas Baptist at 1 p.m., then at 5 p.m. the men play Texas-Permian Basin and the women play Fort Hays State (Kan.). On Friday, both teams play Newman (Kan.) at 4:30 p.m.
 
Putting too much weight into any particular match or matches can be disadvantageous, but it is worth noting the Texas-Permian Basin men grabbed the final spot in the NCAA Division II regional tournament last season, edging out the Roadrunners.
 
"I don't want to overplay it," Graetz said of the weekend in general. "It's early in the season. No matches are season-ending or anything like that. But they are important matches and we need to go in and give absolutely everything we have. But it's not a season-defining weekend or anything like that."
 
The Roadrunners opened the season in their own invitational last weekend and dominated the four-team event, with all the finalists, not to mention champions, in all six brackets.
 
Daniel Llorente won the Men's A Singles final over teammate David Kijak, Billy McDermott won the Men's B Singles final over teammate Jordi Ribera, and McDermott and Alejandro Martinez-Morilla won the Men's Doubles final over teammates Joshua King and Mateo Besada.
 
On the women's side, Tabitha Porter – the program's all-time wins leader – outlasted freshman teammate Brooklyn Ross in a four-hour Women's A Singles final, freshman Kayla Myburgh beat teammate Ainsley Winterrowd in a three-set Women's B Singles final, and an all-MSU Denver doubles final was on tap before it was cancelled due to weather.
 
"We've got some real competitors," Graetz said. "We learned a lot about some of the freshmen and transfers. I don't think we're better than what I expected. But I don't think we're worse than I expected either."