DENVER – With all due respect to our friends in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the MSU Denver tennis programs are stepping it up this week at the Pacific West Conference Tournament.
 
"These draws are what you would expect at a national tournament," MSU Denver coach Josh Graetz said.
 
The Roadrunners are playing in the PacWest in tennis for the first time this season as the RMAC no longer sponsors tennis as a championship sport since only three institutions still have programs.
 
The tournament in Surprise, Ariz., starts Wednesday, as the MSU Denver women face Hawaii-Hilo in a 9 a.m. MST (10 a.m. Denver time) matchup. The men take to the court Thursday at 1 p.m. MST (2 p.m. in Denver) against national power and 13^th-ranked Hawaii Pacific.
 
The women are guaranteed two matches in their 12-team tournament, while the men will play three times as part of that eight-team field.
 
And while the challenge may seem daunting – four men's teams are in the national top 14, while five women's teams are in the top 25 – MSU Denver isn't to be taken lightly.
 
The men are the sixth seed and the women are seeded ninth.
 
The Roadrunners have been seasoned with a difficult schedule that included a trip to Texas and Oklahoma to play a number of Division II powers, another to California to experience PacWest play first-hand, and there were other matchups with Division I foes sprinkled in.
 
"Having the two trips to sea level – Texas and California – has put us in a good spot going to Arizona," Graetz said. "We know what to expect. It's going to be some high-level competition.
 
"That was the plan. And when high-level programs ask to play, I'm not going to say no. This is probably the toughest schedule we've ever had – on both sides."
 
The MSU Denver women are 10-9 heading into the matchup with 6-5 and eighth-seeded Hawaii-Hilo. The Vulcans were ranked eighth in the ITA West Region rankings (which aren't affiliated with NCAA regional rankings used to determine the tournament field) released in late March, while MSU Denver was No. 10.
 
"They've had a pretty good season and had a good win over Hawaii Pacific," Graetz said. "It's going to be a good match. There's a reason we're 8 and 9. It should be close."

The Roadrunners aren't familiar with the Vulcans, but it shouldn't be a factor.
 
"That's happened a lot for us this year," Graetz said. "So it's nothing out of the ordinary in that respect."
 
The Roadrunners' doubles tandem of Brooklyn Ross and Isabel Heras is ranked No. 17 in Division II and will be looking to help the team get off to a good start.
 
The MSU Denver men are 7-8 heading into the match with the third-seeded Sharks (3-3). Hawaii Pacific won the last PacWest Tournament, in 2019, and advanced all the way to the NCAA Division II national semifinals. The Sharks were the 2016 national champions.
 
"That's a good program for sure," Graetz said. "I know their coach, and I know they are coached well and have a talented team. But we've played high-level opponents all year. We had a good win against (Division I) Northern Arizona a couple of weeks ago, and if we can play at the same level of intensity, then we'll stand a really good chance."
 
MSU Denver earned a win over No. 7 seed Biola (Calif.) on its March trip west, where it also picked up two points against national No. 7 Azusa Pacific (Calif.) in a respectable 5-2 defeat. David Kijak and Jeanloup Auzias, at No. 5 and 6, each won both matches in the aforementioned duals.
 
"The matches we've played and the tough teams we've played have prepared us for this moment," Graetz said. "Because every team we're going to play in conference is going to be high-level. So it shouldn't be a shock to us."