By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech fall tennis season is here, as a quartet of Golden Eagles will make their 2017-18 debuts over the weekend. Senior Eduardo Mena, junior Wenceslao Albin, sophomore Marc Mila and freshman Gonzalo Garcia will all take aim in the 2017 Southern Intercollegiate Championships, beginning Friday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.
Live video is available throughout the tournament. Click here to watch.
The 50th annual running of the event, hosted by the University of Georgia, features three different divisions of singles play and two different divisions of doubles play. The tournament is single elimination format.
Eduardo Mena, the back-to-back OVC Player of the Year, enters the tournament as one of the top eight seeds in the singles Division I bracket, holding down the No. 4 overall seed. The Bultrago del Lozoya, Spain native earns a bye into the round of 32, where he will lock up with UGA's Alex Phillips Friday at 10:30 a.m. CT. The Division I round of 16 is set for Saturday, while the quarterfinals and semifinals are on Sunday and the championship is slated for Monday.
Like Mena, Marc Mila receives a bye in the Division II bracket, advancing straight into the round of 32. Last year's Co-OVC Freshman of the Year will hook up with Georgia State's Sebastian Acuna Friday at 9:30 a.m. CT.
Gonzalo Garcia makes his Golden Eagle debut Friday morning, also participating in the Division II bracket in the round of 64. The Barcelona, Spain native squares off with Kennesaw State's Corey Smith at 7 a.m. CT. The winner will battle Louisville's George Hedley in the round of 32 at 11 a.m. The Division II round of 16 is on Saturday. The quarterfinals and semifinals are on Sunday and the championship is on Monday.
Wenceslao Albin throws on purple and gold for the first time Friday morning, taking his shot in the Division III bracket. The East Tennessee State transfer and former Southern Conference Freshman of the Year will connect with Georgia State's Kevin Huynh in the round of 32 Friday at 7:30 a.m. CT. The winner says hello to Louisville's Fredrik Moe in the round of 16 at 10:30. The Division III bracket quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday, while the semifinals and championship is on Sunday.
As far as doubles play is concerned, Tech's tandem of Eduardo Mena and Marc Mila will participate in the Division I doubles bracket, squaring off with Georgia State's Sebastian Acuna and Jack MacFarlane in Friday's round of 32 at 2 p.m. CT. The Division I round of 16 and quarterfinals are on Saturday. The semifinals are set for Sunday, and the championship is on Monday.
The pair of TTU newcomers, Gonzalo Garcia and Wenceslao Albin, will take aim in the Division II bracket round of 32 Friday morning, meeting Georgia State's Giles Hussey and Kevin Huynh at 2 p.m. CT. The Division II bracket round of 16 and quarterfinals are on Saturday. The semifinals are on Sunday and the championship is on Monday.
Photo by Tony Marable
