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Vanderbilt Men Open SEC Play 3/3/2005 The No. 31 Vanderbilt men’s tennis team continues its recent road swing, travelling to Ole Miss and Mississippi State this weekend to open SEC play. The Dores’ first test of the second season comes by way of defending SEC champion Ole Miss. The No. 5 Rebels are once again stocked with talent in 2005, featuring three players in the top-80. The Rebels are currently 8-1 and led by senior Catalin Gard. The nation’s No. 4 player holds a 7-1 record in dual-match play. The Rebels also feature ranked players in rookie Jakob Klaeson and senior Karim Alayli. Overall, the Rebels are 33-5 in the singles draw thus far in 2005. In their last outing, Head Coach Billy Chadwick’s group downed Memphis 6-1 in Oxford. “We hope to keep our success going against Ole Miss,” said Interim Head Coach Eddie Coates. “Ole Miss is always a top-10 team. It will be a challenge for our team, especially our young guys, but they bring a lot of enthusiasm to the court. This weekend is a new start for us and we will definitely see what we’re made of.” In the Commodores last trip to the Ole Miss campus, the Dores reeled off consecutive wins over Oregon and the host Rebels in the 2004 NCAA Tournament Regional. On Sunday, the Dores make the short trip to Starkville as they square off against the Bulldogs of Mississippi State. In last year’s showdown, the Dores tripped the No. 37 Bulldogs 5-2. This year’s Bulldogs are currently ranked No. 39 by the ITA and present a host of challenges in both the singles and doubles draw. “The doubles point is going to be big,” said Coates. “We hope to set the tone with it.” The Bulldogs showcase the No. 15 doubles duo of Luiz Carvalho and Juan-Carlos Pinto. The duo presents a 4-2 record at the No. 1 doubles position. The Commodores will look to counter the Bulldog pairing with a tremendous combination of their own. VU’s No. 35 twosome of Scott Brown and Jason Pinsky is perfect in dual-match play, chalking up an impressive 9-0 record. Overall, the Bulldogs post a 5-3 record, dropping their last match to MTSU by a 4-0 decision. The Commodores head to the Magnolia State powers coming off a 5-2 road win over No. 55 Indiana. The Dores post an 8-1 record, with its most impressive victory being a 5-2 triumph over the No. 49 Michigan Wolverines on Feb. 13. The action at Ole Miss is set to commence at 2:00 p.m. on Friday. The Commodores battle the Bulldogs at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. |
