NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team will return to the court on Sunday with a pair of home dual matches at the Currey Tennis Center. The Commodores start off the morning at 11 a.m. with Virginia Tech before capping off the afternoon with The Citadel at 3 p.m.
The Dores boast a 2-0 dual record heading into Sunday’s doubleheader at home.
Admission to both matches is free of charge and parking is available on floors 9-11 of the 25th Avenue Garage (enter from Highland Avenue).
Debriefing
The Commodores opened their season at home with a dominant 6-1 win over Music City rival Lipscomb last Sunday. Vanderbilt came out strong in doubles play, securing wins on all three courts.
Vandy took five of six to secure the 6-1 home victory. Joubert Klopper and Marcus Ferreira were the first duo off the court after a pair of 6-2, 6-1 victories on courts 2 and 3, respectively. In a gutsy performance, George Harwell clinched the victory for the Dores with a pair of 6-4 set wins over his Bison opponent, giving Vandy the 4-0 lead while the remaining singles played out. Max Freeman and Macsen Sisam picked up the last two points for the Dores after quick victories on courts 4 and 6.
The dual also saw the return of sophomore Jeremie Casabon who made his first match appearance in over four months.
Scouting the Opponents
- Virginia Tech (4-4): Both teams met in 2014 when the Dores hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA Tournament. Vandy swept the Hokies, 4-0, to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but ultimately saw their 2013-14 season end after suffering a heart-breaking 4-3 loss to Columbia. The Hokies are on a four-match winning streak heading to the Music City. Individually, sophomore duo Jordan Chrysostom and Ryan Fishback rank No. 17 in doubles, while Fishback sits at No. 70 in the latest ITA singles rankings.
- The Citadel (1-4): The Bulldogs look to bounce-back after they split a pair of matches last Saturday. The Citadel picked up their first win of the season with a dominant 6-1 victory over USC Sumter. Following their win, the Bulldogs were swept by in-state rival South Carolina State, 7-0.
ITA Rankings Revamped
- Fifth-year senior and No. 1 singles player, George Harwell, improved to No. 26 in singles.
- 2 singles player Joubert Klopper, a junior from Bloemfontein, South Africa, also received an individual ranking at No. 94.
What They’re Saying
Head Coach Ian Duvenhage on the Hokies
“Virginia Tech has an excellent team this year and we are eager to find out how we stack up against them.”
Next Serve
Vanderbilt returns to the Currey Tennis Center next weekend for four dual matches. The Commodores are set to host a Music City doubleheader next Friday with Belmont at 2 p.m. before returning to the courts that evening for a 6 p.m. match against Tennessee State. They round out the weekend with a noon match against Big Ten foe Northwestern before their second dual against the Tigers at 4 p.m. on Sunday.