Commodores Host Trio of Duals

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Vanderbilt men’s tennis concludes its March homestand this week at the Currey Tennis Center with the conclusion of the nonconference schedule and entering the heart of conference play.

The Commodores welcome Big Ten foe Indiana for a mid-week match at 2 p.m. Wednesday to wrap up nonconference play. Following the Hoosiers, the Dores continue Southeastern Conference play against No. 13 Kentucky at 4 p.m. Friday, before closing out the weekend hosting Alabama at noon Sunday.

Admission to all home matches are free of charge and parking is available on floors 9-11 of the 25th Avenue Garage (enter from Highland Avenue).

Vandy enters another challenging test this week with a 12-5 record on the season and 1-4 in SEC play. After picking up wins against Northwestern, who was ranked No. 12 at the time, and Wisconsin, the Dores look to go undefeated in Big Ten play this season. For conference play, the Dores are awaiting their first SEC victory at home this season. Their lone SEC win came on the road against Arkansas on March 6, where they earned their first conference win since March 6, 2020.

Marketing Promos and Giveaways – Food Truck Weekend

Fans that arrive early for our SEC matches this weekend will receive complimentary food truck items while offer lasts.

• Friday, March 23 – vs. No. 12 Kentucky: The Love Bus opens at 3:30 p.m., while first serve is at 4 p.m.
• Sunday, March 25 – vs. Alabama: Roscoes Smoked BBQ opens at 11:30 a.m., while first serve is at noon.

Cracked Racquets’ SEC Redzone

• Both the SEC Network and Cracked Racquets have announced a partnership that allows more coverage of collegiate tennis within the conference.
• The SEC Redzone broadcasts are set to run for Friday SEC and nonconference matchups throughout the regular season. This week’s slate is highlighted by Vandy hosting No. 13 Kentucky.
• In conjunction with the live broadcasts of matches, Cracked Racquets will produce a weekly SEC focused show to highlight upcoming events and recap matches.

Debriefing

The Dores continued their competitive slate, splitting a pair of doubleheaders last weekend that featured a couple of SEC opponents.

Vandy fell to 1-4 in conference play after losses to LSU and Auburn last weekend. Last Friday against LSU, the Dores clinched the doubles point, but were tested in singles and ultimately fell short to the Tigers, 4-3. Last Sunday against Auburn, the Dores were overpowered by the Tigers, 4-1. Vandy’s lone point came from fifth-year senior and No. 39, George Harwell, who picked up his first SEC singles victory this season after a three-set thriller on the top court against No. 83 Tyler Stice.

Also, the Dores picked up dominant wins against non-conference foes Alabama A&M and Tennessee State. Last weekend also saw the return of senior Macsen Sisam, who went an undefeated 2-0 in singles play. In addition, Sisam and sophomore Jeremie Casabon found their way into the doubles lineup for SEC play, clinching the opening point for the Dores against LSU.

Scouting the Opponents

• Indiana (5-7): Vandy met Indiana in the closing match of the 2020 ITA Kickoff Weekend in Austin, Texas, where the Dores left victorious with a 4-2 win. Harwell stepped up for Vandy to clinch the match on the top court in a 6-3, 7-6 (5) victory over Bennett Crane, who was ranked No. 66 at the time. The squad started off the dual season strong with a three-match win streak, but now look to bounce-back after a two-match losing streak, which includes a loss against SEC foe Auburn on March 7.
• 13 Kentucky (13-4, 4-1 SEC): The last time the Dores won over the Wildcats was April 18, 2019, in an upset victory to secure a spot in the quarterfinals of the 2019 SEC Championship in Gainesville, Florida. Last season, Vandy couldn’t quite dig itself out of an early hole and ultimately dropped a 5-2 decision to the Wildcats in Lexington, Kentucky. The Wildcats advanced to the ITA National Team Indoor Championships held last February, after picking up a pair of seeded wins from SEC West foes Alabama and Mississippi State, at the annual ITA Kickoff Weekend in January. Currently, Kentucky is third in the SEC standings with a 4-1 conference record and 13-4 overall. Last Sunday, Kentucky overpowered Texas A&M in a 6-1 decision to earn its first victory over the Aggies since 2016. Individually, three Kentucky players are ranked in the latest ITA singles rankings led by No. 10 Gabriel Diallo, while the team of Liam Draxl and Millen Hurrion are ranked No. 61 in doubles play.
• Alabama (5-12, 0-4 SEC): The last time the Dores won over the Crimson Tide was the SEC season opener on March 2, 2018, in a highly contested 4-3 match in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Since then, Alabama has been on a three-match winning streak against Vandy. The Crimson Tide look for their first conference win of the season after a four-match losing streak in SEC play. Freshman duo Filip Planinsek and German Samofalov sit in the top 30 at No. 28 in the latest ITA doubles rankings.

Rise in ITA Rankings

• In the current ITA team rankings, the Dores jumped into the top 30 at No. 29 after picking up an upset win over Northwestern, who was ranked No. 12 at the time. Vandy currently holds a 12-5 record heading into a three-match week.
• Harwell, a fifth-year senior and No. 1 singles player, jumped 15 spots to No. 39 in the ITA singles rankings on March 9.
• Junior Siim Troost and freshman Michael Ross cracked the doubles rankings on March 9 at 76th nationally, together the pair owns an 11-4 record on the top court. The achievement also marks the first time Ross has been ranked individually in his career.

Klopper Earns SEC Honors

The junior was named SEC Player of the Week, as announced by the league office on Feb. 16.

A native of Bloemfontein, South Africa, Klopper, was honored for his 7-0 dual record at the time, which included three wins during the doubleheader against ACC foe Virginia Tech and The Citadel on Feb. 13. Klopper clinched the match against the Hokies in a two-set thriller, 7-6 (2), 6-4, on Court 2. Later in the afternoon, Klopper moved up to the top singles spot to defeat his Bulldogs opponent in straight sets, 6-2, 6-0.

Currently, he has a combined 39-13 record including 24-7 in singles and 15-6 in doubles. During the dual season, Klopper’s 19-8 record is highlighted by singles play at 12-4.

For full press release, click here.

On the Radar

The Dores head back on the road next week for a challenging test against a pair of SEC East foes. Vandy starts off the month of April in the Palmetto State to take on No. 7 South Carolina, before wrapping up the weekend in the Sunshine State to face top-ranked Florida.