By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Athletics Media Relations
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech tennis team's season-long, four-match homestand rolls on as the Golden Eagles prepare for an intriguing in-state battle Tuesday morning at Tech Tennis Courts.
The purple and gold welcome future conference opponent ETSU to town with first serve in Cookeville slated for 11 a.m. CT. Admission is free of charge.
A look at Tennessee Tech
The Golden Eagles (4-5) greet the Bucs surging, thanks to wins in four of the last five affairs. Tech is fresh off a dramatic, 4-3 win over Lipscomb in Friday's home opener that saw the squad rally from a 3-2 deficit late in the match.
Davids Spaks first tied the contest with a three-set win out of then No. 3 position before Alex Alvarez pushed the purple and gold to victory with a three-set triumph of his own in the No. 2 spot. The pair is currently tied for the team lead in singles wins behind four nods apiece.
Murilo Burckhardt and Diego Munoz each have three solo nods this spring, while Oliver Dao picked up his first winning decision with a victory in the top slot on Friday. Dao has played all of his singles bouts in the No. 1 position this season.
Doubles wise, No. 79 Spaks and Alvarez are 4-4, playing exclusively on court No. 1. Burckhardt and Munoz have matched the Golden Eagle duo with four wins of their own, positing a 4-3 account out of the No. 3 position.
A look at ETSU
The Bucs (9-3) come to Cookeville on an absolute heater that has seen the squad win their last nine matches. Following an 0-3 start to the spring with two defeats at Tennessee as well as a loss at No. 1 Wake Forest, ETSU has not dropped a single match in nearly a two-month period.
The Buccaneers head to Tech Tennis Courts on the heels of a thrilling win in their own right, thanks to a come-from-behind, 4-3 nod over No. 42 Charlotte Sunday afternoon in Johnson City. Down 3-2 late in the match, Carlos Gonzalez notched a tying, three-set triumph in the No. 6 clash before Oscar Martinez wrapped up the affair with a three-set victory in the No. 1 get-together.
Martinez will play the Golden Eagles with a perfect 9-0 singles record, all out of the No. 1 spot in the lineup. Kai Cowcher holds the team's second-best solo mark with an 8-4 ledger. The junior out of Colchester, Essex, England has gone 0-1 in No. 2, 3-0 in No. 3, 4-3 in No. 4 and 1-0 in No. 5.
From a doubles perspective, the duo of Martinez and Martin Vergara have teamed up for a club-best 5-2 record, all out of No. 1.
Inside the series
Tuesday's tangle will mark the 39th meeting in the all-time series. The Bucs lead the set, 24-14, and have claimed 10 consecutive contests. ETSU seized the last gathering, just about a year ago to the day, with a 6-1 victory on Mar. 4, 2025 in Johnson City.
Photo: Jim Dillon
