By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech tennis team will put the finishing touches on a season-opening three-match road trip Friday afternoon as the Golden Eagles (1-1) trek down to Fort Myers, Fla. to tangle with Florida Gulf Coast at 4 p.m. CT.

Tech has split its first two tilts of 2016 after opening up the season with a 4-3 nod over Lipscomb on Jan. 30, before falling, 4-3, at UNC Asheville on Feb. 7 in a match that saw the Golden Eagles notch a pair of wins at the top of their singles lineup.

Sophomore Eduardo Mena and junior Alberto Esteban paced TTU with victories in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots in the singles order, with Mena producing a 6-4, 6-3 win over Asheville's Thomas Orestis-Panoulas in the No. 1 spot, and Esteban powering past Alex Croker with a 6-4, 6-4 victory out of the No. 2 position.

Mena's nod pushed the OVC's preseason No. 1 rated player to a perfect 2-0 singles mark this year, and after teaming up with Esteban for a 6-0 doubles victory, Mena is also undefeated in doubles play with an identical 2-0 record. Esteban joins Mena as the only other Golden Eagle to go 2-0 in doubles play after notching a 6-2 win with senior Alex Arovin in the season-opener against Lipscomb.

Florida Gulf Coast (4-2) gets set to host TTU on a three-match win streak that includes victories over Florida Atlantic on Jan. 29, Bethune Cookman on Feb. 5, and Marquette on Feb. 7. Junior Andres Alfonzo and senior Eduardo Alfonzo lead the Eagles singles charge with identical 4-1 records, while senior Lucas Vaz and Ricky Ventura boast a club-leading 4-1 doubles tally.

Friday's meeting between the two schools will mark the first in program history.