By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The 2024 Horizon League opener has arrived for the Tennessee Tech tennis team, as the Golden Eagles will welcome Lindenwood to town on Saturday for the first of five conference clashes this spring. First serve at Tech Tennis Courts is scheduled for 1 p.m. CT and admission is free of charge.
A look at Tennessee Tech
In search of their first win of the season, the Golden Eagles (0-8) will put the bulk of a rigorous non-conference slate in the rearview mirror, having already played eight of the club's 10 non-conference contests this year. The season-opening arduous stretch has featured six matchups against nationally ranked foes, including Tech's last match in a 6-1 loss at No. 22 Memphis on Saturday.
The bout with the Tigers did see freshman Alex Alvarez pick up his first collegiate spring singles victory behind a three-set triumph over Harry Rock in the No. 1 spot. Alvarez joins fellow rookies Murilo Burckhardt and Davids Spaks as well as junior Darek Kuczynski as Golden Eagles to collect a solo win this spring.
Spaks, Lucas Bitzer and Paulo Ramos Martin lead the purple and gold with two doubles wins apiece.
Saturday's tangle with the Lions will mark only the second TTU match in Cookeville and first since the home opener against Presbyterian on Feb. 25. The last three scheduled tilts at Tech Tennis Courts have been wiped away due to inclement weather, with slated contests against Texas Tech on Mar. 2, Youngstown State on Mar. 8 and Furman on Mar. 22 all cancelled.
The Golden Eagles were selected to finish tied with Tennessee State for second in the Horizon League's South Division in the preseason poll, which was released in early January. Belmont was chosen to win the six-team South Division, while Cleveland State was predicted to claim the five-club North Division.
In Tech's first season as a member of the conference in 2023, the Golden Eagles finished in second place in the South Division with a 7-2 league ledger. The purple and gold would go on to make the conference tournament championship match after topping Northern Kentucky in the quarterfinals and Cleveland State in the semis. TTU's showing in the championship match marked the program's seventh-straight appearance in a conference tourney title tilt.
A look at Lindenwood
Before coming to Cookeville, the Lions (2-7, 0-1 HL) will take on Tennessee State in Nashville on Friday in the club's second Horizon League affair of the year. Lindenwood was upended 5-2 by Eastern Illinois in the conference opener on Mar. 23 in St. Charles, Mo. The loss to the Panthers did feature a pair of singles victories behind Lion nods by Carlos Gonzalez in the No. 1 slot and Alonso De Prada in the No. 4 position.
Gonzalez and Fernando Martin Paz are the Lindenwood leaders in solo nods thanks to three wins apiece. Bernardo Henriques sits atop the Lion leaderboard in doubles play with three tandem victories this spring.
In Lindenwood's first season as a Division I program in 2023, the club went 5-12 overall with a 2-8 Horizon League ledger.
Inside the series
Saturday's showdown will mark the third-ever meeting in the all-time series. TTU captured both get-togethers in 2023, both by 7-0 margins. The Golden Eagles won in St. Charles on Mar. 17 and in Cookeville in the regular-season finale on Apr. 23.
Photo by TTU Marketing
