By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – With a season-opening three-match road swing now in the rearview mirror, the Tennessee Tech tennis team will christen its 2016 home slate Thursday morning with an 11 a.m. CT matchup with Chattanooga at Tech Tennis Courts.
Having dropped its last two tilts with losses to UNC Asheville and Florida Gulf Coast, the Golden Eagles (1-2) will look to get back to their winning ways in Cookeville, a place that has been quite generous for them with a combined 25-3 home record over the last six years.
A sluggish start plagued TTU Friday in its loss to FGCU after the Golden Eagles dropped the doubles point, and then fell in two of the first three singles matches en route to a 5-2 defeat. Despite the loss, sophomore Eduardo Mena continued his hot pace to begin the season with another singles nod to bump the OVC's preseason No. 1 ranked player to a perfect 3-0 in singles action.
Freshman Guillermo Nicolas has been a key cog in the Tech lineup as well, joining Mena as the only pair of Golden Eagles to notch at least two singles victories on the young season with the 5-foot-9 rookie posting a 2-1 record thus far. Mena and junior Alberto Esteban are also the only two Tech players with at least two doubles victories in the first three matches as well.
Chattanooga (3-3) takes the quick trip up to Cookeville on a heater with wins in three of its last four tilts after an 0-2 start. Four Mocs have collected a team-best three singles victories, including junior Lucas Plesky and senior Nick Wingord, who are building off stellar fall seasons that saw Plesky post an 8-1 singles mark and Wingord roll out a 6-2 singles record.
Chattanooga leads the all-time series with Tech, 33-21, however the Golden Eagles did get the better of the Mocs in last year's battle, a 4-2 win in Chattanooga. TTU received the doubles point behind victories in the top two spots as Alex Arovin and Alberto Esteban took home the W in the No. 1 position, and Eduardo Mena and Alvaro Cintas captured the nod in the No. 2 spot.
Arovin, Esteban, and Mena also seized wins in the top three singles spots to push TTU to the finish line.
Admission to all Golden Eagle home regular season matches is free of charge.
