By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Widely considered one of the most prestigious college tournaments in the country, the Tennessee Tech tennis team is set to compete in the H-E-B Tournament of Champions in Corpus Christi, Texas over the weekend.
The two-day affair, held for the 53rd straight year as the longest-running college team tournament in the country, is slated for Friday, Feb. 22 and Saturday, Feb. 23. The Golden Eagles (2-6) will kick start their tourney run with a matchup against the host Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 10 a.m. CT Friday morning from the Islanders Courts.
Regardless out outcome, Tech will also play at 5 p.m. Friday evening either in the semifinals or in the consolation bracket. Saturday's fifth-place and seventh-place matches are scheduled for 9 a.m., while the third-place affair and the championship match will begin at noon.
The other six teams in the field are DePaul, Louisiana, New Mexico State, Troy, UTRGV and UTSA.
The Golden Eagles are coming off a 1-2 showing against sturdy competition in Boca Raton, Fla. last weekend with a thrilling 4-3 win over Stetson, before falling at Florida Atlantic and to DePaul.
Senior Wenceslao Albin went 2-1 during singles action during his stay in the Sunshine State, leading the Salliquelo, Argentina product to the OVC Male Tennis Athlete of the Week honor, the first Golden Eagle to hoist the weekly accolade this season.
Overall, Albin is second on the squad with three singles nods, trailing sophomore Gonzalo Garcia, who has raced out to a 4-2 mark in the campaign's early stages. From a doubles perspective, Albin, sophomore Riku Kubota and freshman Rafael Tosetto have led the purple and gold with three wins apiece.
A look at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
The host Islanders (10-3) head into the weekend riding a three-match heater with a successful showing in the ULL Invitational in Lafayette, Louisiana, Feb. 15-16. A&M-Corpus Christi knocked off Northern Arizona, the host Louisiana and Alcorn State during the two-day stay in Cajun Country.
Six different Islanders have collected at least seven singles wins this season, paced by Carlos Perdrosa and Thibault Frumholz, who have each posted identical 8-2 marks. Pedrosa has flourished near the top of the A&M-Corpus Christi lineup with a 5-1 record out of the No. 2 position, while William Mottet has gone 6-3 out of the top spot and 1-0 in the No. 2 slot for a 7-3 overall record. Mottet and Thomas Rodrigues have proven to be the club's most formidable doubles tandem with an 8-1 record, all out of the No. 1 position.
The Golden Eagles and Islanders have had one previous meeting, a 4-2 A&M-Corpus Christi nod last February in Lafayette, La.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information