The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga men’s tennis team has two tough matches on the schedule this weekend. The Mocs are on the road at Troy and Tennessee Tech in non-conference action.
UTC travels to Troy for a 3:00 p.m. (E.S.T.) dual on Friday, Feb. 28. The Mocs then visit defending Ohio Valley Conference Champion Tennessee Tech on Sunday, March 1, in Cookeville, Tenn. First serve against the Golden Eagles is 1:00 p.m.
“Obviously, these are the type of road trips you circle on the calendar,” stated head coach Chuck Merzbacher.
“Our guys have been looking forward to playing these two strong and storied tennis programs.”
The Mocs are 11-2 overall, their best start since going 30-2 in 1988. That includes a 1-0 mark in Southern Conference action after Friday’s 7-0 sweep of The Citadel.
Senior Niklas Gerdes leads the team with a 13-0 record at No. 1 singles. He is also 11-0 at No. 2 doubles with sophomore Tomas Rodriguez. Freshman Jeffrey Dewald is 11-1 at No. 4 with 12 straight wins overall.
Sophomore Kerim Hyatt, last year’s SoCon Freshman of the Year, has won four in a row to improve to 8-4 at No. 3 singles.
Troy enters the weekend with a 7-4 overall record and a two-match winning streak. The Trojans are 2-0 on their home courts at the Lunsford Tennis Complex, and host Alabama A&M on Thursday before UTC comes to town.
Freshman Carles Anton leads the Trojans with an 11-0 overall record in singles. He is 7-0 at No. 3, where he has played most of his matches in the spring.
“Troy always has a lot depth and a roster of tough, hard-playing tennis players,” stated Merzbacher. “The Sun Belt is a great tennis conference, so this will be a challenge.”
The Mocs are 0-4 in the series with Troy that started in 2000. The last time these two teams met was a 4-0 Trojan win on Feb. 24, 2017.
Tennessee Tech is 2-4 overall and hosts Kennesaw State for its home opener on Saturday, March 29. Freshman Evzen Holis is the current OVC Player of the Week. Hollis is 4-2 in the spring and 1-0 at No. 1 singles.
“Tennessee Tech, OVC defending champions, are always good as the spring moves along,” added Merzbacher. “They play a strong schedule and their players will be ready. Every spot will be needed in these matches, both doubles and singles.”
UTC is 35-23 in the all-time series with the Golden Eagles that dates back to 1958. TTU has won the last two and four of the last five, including a 4-3 victory in Chattanooga on March 2, 2019. These two teams have met in non-conference action every year since 2010.