By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech tennis team has its final two matches of the regular season over the weekend, as the Golden Eagle will host Tennessee State on Friday in the home finale before traveling to Nashville to greet Belmont Saturday afternoon.
Both matches are slated to start at 1 p.m. CT. Admission to Tech Tennis Courts is free of charge.
A look at Tennessee Tech
Behind a perfect Horizon League record, the Golden Eagles (3-10, 3-0 HL) control their own destiny in their attempt at locking up the South Division's top seed in the Horizon League Tournament. If Tech takes down the pair of in-state opponents, the south's No. 1 seed will be theirs.
TTU's unblemished conference run has featured victories over Lindenwood, Southern Indiana and Eastern Illinois, with the purple and gold outscoring the trio of clubs 14-1 during the surge.
Tech's Friday match against the Tigers will close out a four-match homestand over a six-day stretch that saw the Golden Eagles capture a 4-0 nod over Eastern Illinois on Apr. 13 before falling 5-2 to UNC Asheville on Apr. 14 and New Mexico State on Wednesday in the final non-conference contest of the year.
Darek Kuczynksi is still pacing TTU in singles victories behind five wins this spring. The junior out of Gdynia, Poland is one of two Golden Eagles to go 3-0 in solo action in Horizon League play, joining Lucas Bitzer's identical 3-0 conference account. Alex Alvarez and Davcids Spaks are each 2-0 in league affairs.
Spaks and Bitzer have proven to be the most formidable doubles tandem for the purple and gold, with the pair teaming up to post a 6-2 mark this spring.
A look at Tennessee State
Chosen to finish tied with Tech for second place in the South Division as part of the 2024 Horizon League Men's Tennis Preseason Poll, the Tigers (6-18, 3-1 HL) have only lost to Belmont during conference play behind a 5-2 loss at the Bruins on Mar. 30. TSU took care of business with wins over Lindenwood, EIU and Southern Indiana, outscoring the three clubs 20-1 in the process.
Tennessee State last played on Apr. 14 with a 4-2 loss to Georgia in Big Blue's home finale in a match that saw the two teams forego doubles action. Taj Hibbert, in the No. 1 position, and Christopher Bogelin, in the No. 4 spot, picked up the pair of points for TSU.
Hibbert is the only Tiger with a winning singles record thanks to a 12-5 solo account. The sophomore has joined Rohan Loubser to make up State's only winning doubles team behind a 7-6 record.
A look at Belmont
The South Division's preseason No. 1 after posting a perfect 10-0 Horizon League record in 2023, the Bruins (9-9, 4-0 HL) are currently in the midst of another unblemished run after winning all four of their conference contests this spring. Belmont has outscored the opposition 23-2 in the quartet of tilts. The Bruins were last spotted on Apr. 13 when the club dropped both matches of a home doubleheader to No. 60 Ole Miss.
Ian Cruz and Tomas Luis have strung together strong springs, serving as the two Bruins with double-digit solo triumphs. Cruz is 14-3 overall, with the majority of his work in the No. 3 position where he has gone 13-3, while Luis has put together a 13-4 ledger this spring, highlighted by a 13-3 mark in the No. 2 slot. Alfred Wallin has most frequented in the No. 1 spot where he has produced a 9-5 record. The senior out of Malmo, Sweden is 9-6 overall.
Cruz and Wallin have teamed up to boast Belmont's best doubles partnership. The pair has collected a perfect 7-0 ledger this spring.
Inside the series
The Golden Eagles will put their undefeated mark against TSU on the line Friday afternoon, with the purple and gold possessing a perfect 37-0 record over the Tigers in the all-time set. Tech topped the State twice last season with a 6-1 win in Cookeville on Mar. 25 and a 5-2 nod in Nashville on Apr. 16.
Belmont has closed the gap to 19-15 in the all-time series history after winning all three battles against the purple and gold last year. In addition to sweeping the regular-season series with Tech, the Bruins beat the Golden Eagles in the Horizon League Tournament championship match to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The title showdown marked the fifth straight year (excluding 2020) where the two teams met in the championship match of a conference tournament.
Photo by Ariana Branstiter
