Golden Eagles open 2012 tennis schedule this weekend

Golden Eagles this weekend with two in Chattanooga;
Tech meets No. 71 Radford to open spring schedule

Click here to view the complete 2012 tennis schedule

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. --- The Tennessee Tech tennis team will take part in 16 dual matches this spring season, including eight Ohio Valley Conference contests with four of those at home. The 2012 spring slate gets underway this weekend with a pair of matches in Chattanooga, including the opener against No. 71 Radford on Saturday.

Six Tech players combined for 17 singles victories during a fall schedule that featured some of the best talent the NCAA has to offer.

Junior Syrym Abdukhailikov paced the Golden Eagles in the fall with five singles victories, while senior Justin Kirstein and sophomore Vasily Eremeev followed with four each. This spring, the roster has been bolstered with the addition of two newcomers as coach Kenny Doyle welcomes Artem Tarasov from Uzbekistan and Alejandro Augusto Bueno of Spain. 

The Golden Eagles begin their spring schedule Saturday evening in Chattanooga with a 5 p.m. match against No. 71 Radford at the Hixson Racquet Club. On Sunday, the Golden Eagles meet UT Chattanooga at 9 a.m. The 2012 schedule also features non-conference dual matches on the road against Memphis and UNC Greensboro the following weekend in Memphis, Elon and Louisville in February, and Belmont and UNC Asheville in March.

The Golden Eagles host one non-conference match at home when Gardner-Webb visits for a contest on Feb. 11.

Tech’s OVC schedule will consist of eight conference duals, four at home and four on the road. TTU opens league play with three straight home duals against Murray State, Eastern Kentucky and Morehead State in late March, before wrapping up its home schedule April 5 against Austin Peay.

The Golden Eagles will travel to Tennessee State, Jacksonville State, Eastern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville to round out its conference schedule.

The OVC Championships are set for April 20-22 at the Centennial Tennis Center in Nashville.