Following a 10-day break from match play, No. 8 Texas men’s tennis will begin its outdoor season against unranked Michigan State on Thursday at the Caswell Tennis Center. Thursday’s match begins a three-match run against Big Ten opponents for the Longhorns. Texas will face off against No. 4 Illinois on Saturday and No. 10 Ohio State on Tuesday.  

Texas comes into Thursday’s contest riding a four-match win streak, with all four victories coming against teams currently ranked in the top 20 of the ITA rankings. 

Senior Søren Hess-Olesen has been a standout during the Longhorns’ winning streak, climbing to No. 2 in the nation in singles — 11 spots higher than his preseason ranking. Hess-Olesen is currently undefeated this season, holding a record of 12–0 and the No. 1 singles spot for the Longhorns. Texas seniors Lloyd Glasspool and Adrien Berkowicz are the only other Longhorns to join Hess-Olesen in the national rankings, at No. 52 and No. 60 spots, respectively.

With Michigan State reeling from losses in three of its last four matches, Texas will look to find another win in its first outdoor match of the year. If they can secure the win, the Longhorns will continue their momentum in their highly anticipated matches against Big Ten powerhouses Illinois and Ohio State.