By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off a season-opening victory over Lipscomb, the Tennessee Tech tennis team aims to make it two straight in the win column as the Golden Eagles (1-0) will travel to UNC Asheville for a Sunday showdown with the Bulldogs (1-1) at 2 p.m. CT from Asheville Racquet Club.
Sunday's tilt marks the fifth straight year that the two schools will tangle, with Ashville seizing the last three matchups following a 4-3 Tech victory in 2012. In last year's affair, the Golden Eagles top of the lineup proved to be successful behind wins in the top three spots in singles play as Alex Arovin slipped past Daniel Kripak, 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, in the No. 1 spot, Alberto Esteban powered past Thomas Panoulas, 6-2, 6-2, in the No. 2 spot, and Eduardo Mena took out Josh Swindler, 6-4, 6-4.
Ultimately, the Bulldogs captured victories in the final three singles spots, and after earning the doubles point, Asheville took the match.
Tech kicked off 2016 with a narrow, 4-3, nod over the Bisons on Jan. 30 in a match that saw a blend of veterans and youth get the job done for TTU. In singles play, freshman Guillermo Nicolas (No. 4 spot), sophomore Eduardo Mena (No.1 spot), and senior Alex Arovin (No.2 spot) all registered victories, while the Golden Eagles recorded the doubles point thanks to wins from the combination of Arovin and junior Alberto Esteban, and the duo of Nicolas and Mena.
TTU comes into Sunday's match with Asheville fresh off of being named the preseason No. 1 team in the conference in addition to a trio of Golden Eagles ranked inside the preseason top eight after the Ohio Valley Conference announced its predicted order of finish and player rankings Friday afternoon.
Sophomore Eduardo Mena punctuated the player ranking's list with a preseason No. 1 nod, while senior Alex Arovin (tied for No. 3) and junior Alberto Esteban (No. 8) rounded out the Tech trifecta as the only school in the conference with three players ranked inside the top 10, let alone the top eight. Furthermore, behind a conference-leading five first-place votes, the Golden Eagles knotted Eastern Kentucky for the preseason No. 1 spot in the conference.
UNC Asheville enters Sunday's affair having split its first two matches of 2016 after falling 4-3 to UNC Greensboro on Jan. 30, before bouncing back with a 4-3 victory over Appalachian State on Jan. 31. Before the Bulldogs clash with Tech, Asheville will host Wofford on Saturday.
