By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech tennis team will unwrap the month of April with a Saturday morning meeting at Southern Indiana for TTU's only match of the week. A battle of the birds pitting the Golden Eagles against the Screaming Eagles is slated for a 9 a.m. CT first serve at USI Tennis Courts in Evansville, Ind.
A look at Tennessee Tech
After a surging start to conference action that featured three straight wins by a combined 19-2 margin in nods over Lindenwood, EIU and Tennessee State, Tech (3-11, 3-1 HL) stubbed its toe with its first ever Horizon League loss in a 6-1 defeat to Belmont in the club's last contest on Mar. 26 in Cookeville. The in-state matchup between two squads picked No. 1 (Belmont) and No. 2 (Tennessee Tech) respectively in the Horizon League South Division Preseason Poll saw the Bruins seize five-of-six singles bouts, but were unable to take the top showdown thanks to a Mika Berghaus 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Marko Illic in the No. 1 position.
Berhgaus, who was coming off being named the Horizon League Tennis Men's Singles Player of the Week, the first such honor for a Golden Eagle this season, picked up his fourth consecutive singles victory, the longest stretch by any Tech player this spring. Overall, the Cologne, Germany product possesses the best solo mark by a Golden Eagle behind a 6-6 record, including 4-0 during league action.
Elias Grubert, Evzen Holis and Jaime Paquet, and Paulo Ramos Martin are all 3-1 in conference play, while Pol Masafret has paced the purple and gold during doubles play behind a team-leading 6-2 mark this spring. The Barcelona, Spain native has teamed up with Berghaus to help provide TTU's most formidable partnership, with the pair combining to go 5-2 this year.
A look at Southern Indiana
In their first season as a Division I program, the Screaming Eagles (5-11, 1-3 HL) are in the middle of a season-long five-match homestand that has seen the club go 1-2 in the first three home affairs of the stretch. The squad topped Hanover College 7-0, but went on to drop its next two affairs with a 4-0 loss to Belmont on Mar. 25 and a 7-0 loss to Tennessee State on Mar. 26.
USI's lone league win came courtesy of a 4-3 triumph at Eastern Illinois on Mar. 18 in a match that saw the Screaming Eagles capture four-of-six singles clashes, including a Dylan Brown 7-6 (6-4), 5-7, 6-3 victory over William Hays in the No. 6 spot to clinch the contest. The Evansville, Ind. product's nod made him one of three players with four singles wins this spring. Yahor Bahdanovich, Omar ElSamahy and Alfrendo Vogeaar lead the club with five solo victories apiece.
Quinten Gillespie is the only Screaming Eagle with a winning tandem record thanks to a 6-5 mark this spring.
Inside the series
Saturday's meeting will mark the first in the all-time series. The match will represent Tech's third first-time tangle this season. The Golden Eagles lost 6-1 at Liberty in the first ever get-together with the Flames on Jan. 21 and bested Lindenwood 7-0 in St. Charles, Mo. on Mar. 17 in TTU's first ever meeting with the Lions. Saturday's match will also be the first in a home-and-home against USI, with Tech hosting Southern Indiana on Apr. 8 in the squad's next match.
Photo by Jim Dillon
