GREENVILLE, S.C.-- The 64th ranked Furman men's tennis team will kick off the 2002 season as the Paladins will face No. 75 California-Irvine on Friday at 10:00 a.m.

The match will be the first of two Furman will play in South Bend, Indiana as the Paladins will square off against the homestanding No. 7 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. The Paladins will then conclude their road trip with a match against the No. 45 Northwestern Wildcats in Chicago on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

This weekend will open up what promises to be a difficult road ahead as Furman will play 11 straight matches away from home against nationally ranked opponents.

The Paladins' first home match is on March 10th against No. 42 Wake Forest.