April 6, 2017
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team will host the Alabama Crimson Tide this Friday at 4 p.m. for the squad’s final home contest of the season.
Prior to first serve, the Commodores will honor senior captain, Pen Binet, as he prepares to graduate this spring with a degree in communication studies and a minor in corporate strategy.
In their last competition, the Dores nearly knocked off No. 24 Kentucky, falling in a 4-3 battle. Individually, four student-athletes put on their best performances of the season. At No. 1 doubles, the duo of Lachlan McPhee and Billy Rowe swept No. 27 Beck Pennington and Enzo Wallert. Daniel Valent and Baker Newman earned their highest ranked career wins, both in straight sets, as Valent defeated No. 17 Will Bushamuka and Newman downed No. 24 Ryo Matsumura.
Scouting the Crimson Tide:
The Crimson Tide roll into Nashville with a 9-14 overall record and 1-8 mark in Southeastern Conference play. Alabama’s one league victory came at home in a 6-1 win over LSU.
Alabama has two ranked singles players in the latest installment of Oracle/ITA rankings. Mazen Osama leads the squad at No. 31 in the country, boasting an 8-3 SEC record on court one. Thibault Cancel follows the sophomore coming in at No. 117. In tandems, the Tide’s Osama and Spencer Richey rank 38th in the country.
For updates and a behind the scenes look at the program, follow @VandyMensTennis on Twitter and Instagram.