By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A third straight get-together with a nationally ranked foe faces the Tennessee Tech tennis team, as the Golden Eagles scoot to Winston-Salem, N.C. for a Monday matchup with No. 14 Wake Forest. First serve from the Indoor Tennis Center at Wake Forest is set for 10 a.m. CT.
A live stream of the match will be available. Click here to watch. Live stats will also be available. Click here to view.
A look at Tennessee Tech
In the midst of an eight-match road swing to start the spring, the Golden Eagles (0-2) will square off with another Top 15 squad after unwrapping the season with two losses at No. 6 Tennessee on Saturday. Tech was topped in the first match 7-0, before falling 4-0 in the second tilt to UT.
Taking aim in its first season in the Horizon League, TTU was recently selected to finish in second in the South Division as part of the 2023 Preseason Poll, as voted on by the conference's 11 head coaches. Belmont was picked to win the South Division, while Cleveland State was selected to seize the North Division. The Golden Eagles received one first-place vote.
Tech is coming off an OVC Tournament title in 2022 to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth time in the last six full seasons. The Golden Eagles fell in the first round of the big dance to Tennessee.
TTU welcomes back four Golden Eagles from a season ago, including the reigning OVC Player of the Year in senior Elias Grubert. Mika Berghaus returns for his junior season after claiming All-OVC accolades last year and Evzen Holis comes back for another spring in purple and gold after an All-OVC second-team selection in 2022.
A look at No. 14 Wake Forest
Monday's matinee will mark the first match of the year for the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest will host Tech in the morning, before clashing with Elon in the evening to put a lid on a season-opening doubleheader in Winston-Salem.
Having secured a spot in nine consecutive NCAA Tournaments, the Demon Deacons return nine competitors from a season ago, including All-ACC second team honoree Melios Efstathiou and All-ACC third team picks Jurabek Karimov and Filippo Moroni.
Wake Forest is coming off a 33-7 season last spring, which included an undefeated 26-0 home mark. The Deacs knocked off Radford and No. 24 Auburn in the NCAA Tournament, before falling in the Round of 16 at No. 9 Kentucky. Wake Forest is spring at 105-4 home record since the start of the 2016-17 campaign.
Inside the series
The Demon Deacons lead the all-time series 7-1, which includes a pair of victories in Tech's season-opening twin bill last year. The Golden Eagles captured the first-ever meeting with a 5-4 triumph on Mar. 20, 1971. All eight previous clashes have taken place in Winston-Salem.
Photo by Thomas Corhern
