COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – It’s possible that the Tennessee
Tech tennis team will play its first outdoor match of the 2015
season on Saturday when the Golden Eagles visit Knoxville to play
back-to-back matches against the University of Tennessee.
Weather permitting, Tennessee will host a doubleheader outdoors
against Tech on Saturday at Barksdale Stadium beginning at 10 a.m.
CT, with the second match scheduled for 2 p.m. CT. If the weather
doesn’t cooperate, the match will move indoors to the
Goodfriend Indoor Tennis Center.
Currently, the weather forecast for Knoxville on Saturday includes
partly cloudy skies and a high of 50 degrees.
The two matches against the Vols open a busy weekend for coach
Kenny Doyle’s team, which also faces a dual match Sunday at
UNC Asheville. That contest will be held indoors beginning at 2
p.m. at the Asheville Racquet Club.
Tech is coming off its first win of the spring season, a 4-2
decision at Chattanooga on Sunday. The Golden Eagles are 1-2
heading into the weekend, and have claimed the doubles point in
each of their three matches.
The TTU duos of Alex Arovin and Alberto Esteban in the No. 1
position, and Alvaro Cintas and Eduardo Mena in either the No. 2 or
No. 3 spot, are both 3-0 in dual matches.
In singles play, Arovin, Esteban and Mena have each posted a 2-1
record in the early schedule. Arovin and Esteban, both returning
all-OVC players, line up in the No. 1 and No. 1 singles slots,
respectively. Mena has played in the No. 3 position.
Tennessee is 4-4 this spring, winning the first four matches of
the year over North Florida, Southern Illinois, Elon and Mercer,
but dropping four straight to Columbia, Oklahoma State, Duke and
Wake Forest.
The match will put Tech’s strength directly against the
Vols’ strength at the top of the lineup.
The Vols are led by 16th ranked Mikelis Libietis, who
is 7-0 in the No. 1 singles position. Libietis and Arovin met once
last year, with Libietis taking a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Tennessee’s top double duo of Libietis and Hunter Reese are
5-2 in the No. 2 position. A year ago, that pair claimed a 6-1
doubles win over Arovin and Artem Tarasov.
UNC Asheville, meanwhile, has been plowing through its opponents
this spring and brings a 6-1 overall record into Sunday’s
contest. The Bulldogs’ only loss was a 4-3 match with
Appalachian State, while their wins have come against Mars Hill,
Norfolk, East Carolina, UNC Greensboro, Lee McRae and King
