Jan. 15, 2015
NASHVILLE, Tenn. –
The Vanderbilt men’s tennis team begins its season with two home double-headers on Friday and Sunday.
The No. 19 Commodores will take on the Georgia State Panthers at 2:00 p.m. Friday and crosstown neighbor Lipscomb at 5 p.m. Vandy is back in action this Sunday as the squad competes against the No. 34 Northwestern Wildcats at 12:00 p.m. and the Belmont Bruins at 4:30 p.m.
Fall Recap:
The Commodores had one of their most fruitful falls to kickoff the 2014 season, with Gonzales Austin making his way to the National Indoor Intercollegiate Finals.
Currently ranked No. 10, Austin’s run in the NIIC was the longest for any Commodore in the history of Vandy tennis. Austin, alongside tandems partner Rhys Johnson, are currently the No. 5 doubles team in the country. The duo compiled a 12-4 mark during the fall.
The `Dores debuted three freshman this fall; Tate Allwardt, Baker Newman, and Daniel Valent. Valent owns an11-4 fall record after making it to regional semifinals. Baker Newman (12-5) went all the way to flight finals at the Southern Intercollegiates.
Commodore Q&A: Freshman Tate Allwardt
On improvements in his game since joining the team:
“Tennis wise, I think my backhand slice and my volleys have really improved here so far.”
On being a new member of the team:
“I think the team as a whole has been really accepting and opening. I’m really good friends with Mason [Viera] and Suresh [Eswaran], but there isn’t anyone who really hasn’t welcomed me.”
Favorite part of being on the Vandy tennis team:
“I just think being with the guys and the camaraderie… it’s really awesome. In junior tennis you really didn’t have that chance because it’s all on your own, but being a part of a team is unique to tennis players so it’s really cool.”
Scouting the Panthers:
The Georgia State Panthers kick-off their season in Nashville after losing two seniors from last year’s 11-14 team. Sofiane Chevallier is the sole senior on the Panther squad. The Paris, France native finished his junior campaign with a 12-7 singles mark and Sun Belt All-Conference Doubles First Team honors.
Surveying the Bison:
Nashville neighbor, Lipscomb, debuts its 2014 campaign at Vanderbilt. The Bison are a young promising team with seven freshmen making up the team’s nine athletes. In their last meeting the Commodores defeated the Bison, 6-1. The Commodores defeated the Bison once this fall with a victory by Pen Binet during the Ohio Valley Regional.
Northwestern Wildcat Tennis:
The Wildcats are currently ranked No. 34 by the ITA with one ranked player in No. 108 Strong Kircheimer. Last time the two teams competed the Commodores defeated the then No. 29 Wildcats, 4-2. Sam Shropshire is the only Wildcat returner who earned a point against the `Dores last season.
Belmont:
The Commodores own a 4-1 2014-15 tournament record against the Bruins after the two teams competed in the Ohio Valley Regional and Commodore Scramble. In their last dual match meeting the Commodores swept the Bruins, 6-0.
ITA Rule Changes:
- No-ad scoring in singles and doubles.
- Three doubles matches played with no-ad scoring, each match one set to 6, with a tie-break at 6-all.
- Followed (after a 10 minute intermission) by six singles matches with no-ad scoring, each match 2 out of 3 sets, with tie-breaks at 6-all.
- No Warm-up with opponents (in doubles and in singles)
- Clinch/Clinch: Once the doubles point has been clinched, the remaining doubles match shall be stopped. And in singles, once the team match has been clinched, any remaining singles matches shall be stopped (unless otherwise agreed upon by both coaches prior to the start of the dual meet match).
