Returning to the court and ready to erase last year?s Big Sky Championship loss to Montana State, this year?s men?s tennis team is a veteran group with most of last year?s players returning.

“We should be much stronger this season,” head coach Chris Evers said. “After this season, four of our top six players will be lost.”

This spring will mark the Hornets? fourth year in Big Sky Conference play. They had been Big Sky Conference Champions the previous two years, before losing to Montana State in last year?s finals.

Evers will be embarking on his seventh year as the men?s coach. He has been named Big Sky Coach of the Year three times over that period.

Evers? list of goals for this year?s team include getting to and exceeding last year?s accomplishments.

“We want to be ranked in the top 50, and unless we have severe injuries, we are looking to win the Big Sky,” Evers said. “We are looking to go beyond the Big Sky and make it to the NCAA (tournament).”

The Hornets will look to senior co-captains Kevin Vieira and Joseph Gilbert to lead the way. Gilbert is one of the team?s top players in doubles play and in the top six in singles for the Hornets. Junior Sherif Zaher, the number one player in singles play for the Hornets, will lead the way in singles matches.

“One through six, we?re really solid,” Evers said referring to his players. “We have some guys who can step up if we have players that get injured.”

The Hornets? men?s tennis team will start play Friday, hosting Nevada. The team will start the season with four home matches, before taking to the road for their next six matches.In Sac State?s second game of the season, the Hornets will host UC Davis, a known rival of the Hornets.

“It?s always nice to play Davis and beat them,” Evers said. “Davis is always ranked in the Top 10 in Division II.”

The schedule will not be easy for the Hornets this year, as every opponent they face is in Division I, except UC Davis.

“The players have to take care of themselves, and we need to peak at the right time,” Evers said. “As we get closer to the end of the season, the players will get hungry.”