March 26, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 17 Vanderbilt men’s tennis team (15-5, 3-3) continues conference action this weekend as the squad travels to No. 5 Georgia Friday at 4:00 pm. On Sunday the `Dores travel to Columbia, S.C. to compete against the No. 42 South Carolina Gamecocks at Noon CT.
Last Time Out:
The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team added two spirited wins to their record last weekend, defeating Tennessee 4-1 and Kentucky 4-3.
Both victories came after the Commodores dropped the doubles point, forcing the squad to rebound in singles action. Freshman Baker Newman clinched both matches for VU at the No. 5 position. Against the Wildcats, the Miami native was down 6-2, 4-1, but to rallied back to take the second set 7-6(2) and the match with a 7-6(3) win in the third.
Rankings:
While Gonzales Austin and Rhys Johnson fell to No. 4 in the latest ITA poll, two doubles teams emerged in the national rankings for the first time.
After defeating the then-9th-ranked TAMU team, 6-4, the duo of sophomore Pen Binet and freshman Baker Newman come in at No. 71. Johnson appears in the rankings twice, being joined by Jeffrey Offerdahl to make up the No. 77 tandem. The duo’s most notable win coming over the then-No. 26 Aggie team.
In singles, Austin remains the highest ranked SEC athlete as he improved to No. 7 in the country. The senior has been in the ITA top-10 the entire season, with No. 7 his highest ranking in his collegiate singles career thus far. The Miami native has been ranked in the ITA top 25 in 25 of 27 releases, which date back to his sophomore year.
Scouting the No. 9 Bulldogs:
Georgia owns a 15-2 overall record, with an undefeated SEC slate. Last weekend the Bulldogs swept both ESTU (7-0) and South Carolina (4-0) at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.
In singles action, senior Nathan Pasha is on a 10-match win streak with wins coming primarily in the No. 3 spot of the Bulldog lineup. Pasha is the Dog’s highest ranked student-athlete, coming in at No. 18. In the latest ITA rankings Austin Smith and Ben Wagland replaced Austin/Johnson as the No. 1 doubles team in the nation.
The Commodores advanced to the SEC semifinals last April after upsetting then-No. 9 in a 4-2 victory. The win over Georgia was the first for VU since 2004.
Scouting the No. 42 Gamecocks:
South Carolina currently owns an 11-10 record, going 2-5 in conference play. Last Weekend the Gamecocks were defeated by Tennessee 4-1, and Georgia 4-0.
SC currently has two teams on its roster that appear in the latest ITA rankings, with seniors Kyle Koch and Thiago Pinheiro coming in at No. 31. Freshmen Harrison O’Keefe and Thomas Mayronne follow at No. 56.
Last season the Gamecocks upset the Commodores 4-2 at home to close out regular season play. This year the Commodores look to correct last season’s misfortune.
