The No. 26 men’s tennis team shoots for its fourth-straight victory when it returns home to host No. 60 Northwestern at 5 p.m. Friday inside the Gregg Wadley Indoor Tennis Pavilion.

The Sooners (5-2) have been on the road since defeating Wichita State, 7-0, in their season opener on Jan. 18 in Norman.

“It’s nice to get at home on your surface, to the speed that you’re used to, and not having to travel,” OU coach John Roddick said. “I think that’s going to be a big help for us since we’ve been on the road pretty much all year.”

OU comes in with momentum after edging out two ranked opponents, 69th-ranked Arkansas and No. 70 Oklahoma State, by identical 4-3 scores.

Roddick said he does not concern himself with the score any time the team wins close matches on the road.

“Winning’s a habit to a certain extent,” Roddick said. “Just getting wins on the road is good, and I think you have to be starting to get in the habit of doing things the right way to give ourselves an opportunity to win.”

The Wildcats (8-3) arrive in Norman on the heels of a 3-1 homestand and are on a three-match winning streak of their own.

Northwestern is seeking its third road win of the season. The Wildcats topped Harvard and William & Mary on the road but lost to No. 49 North Carolina State in its only road contest against a ranked foe.

While OU has three ranked singles players and one ranked doubles team in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, Northwestern is without a ranked singles player or doubles pairing.

Roddick said he knows Northwestern is a well-coached team and expects the Wildcats to provide a challenge despite the lack of star talent.

“These guys are used to playing good teams in the Big Ten. The Big Ten has three top-eight teams right now, so — seeing that — it’s not going to be a big deal for them to play, and they’re going to be ready to play,” Roddick said.