NASHVILLE, Tenn. - The Belmont university men's tennis team returns to action this weekend, taking a road trip to face Alabama State on Saturday and Alabama A&M on Sunday.
Belmont's previous three tennis matches were cancelled due to inclement weather, with the Bruins winning their last match 4-3 against Lipscomb on Feb. 12. Senior Marko Ilic claimed his 46th career singles win earlier this season with a victory in the Feb. 5 Bellarmine match. The Zagreb, Croatia native is now tied for 11th in program history in career singles wins with Augusto Ricciardi (1999-2003). The Bruins have also earned a total of three OVC Player of the Week honors this season, with Arthur Toledo, Marko Ilic and Diego Castro each collecting the weekly award during the first three weeks of the season.
Castro and freshman Alfred Wallin lead the Bruins with a 2-1 overall dual record and the doubles team of Ilic and Miyamoto lead Belmont with a 2-1 mark on the year. Toledo remains the only Bruin to hold an undefeated mark on the season, starting 2021 with a 2-0 record.
Alabama State is off to a 5-3 start, currently sitting on a three-match win streak. The Hornets are led by Assil Boussayri in singles, who holds a 5-2 record on the year. Boussayri and Ruan Du Preez lead the doubles portion with a 5-3 record. Alabama A&M holds a 1-3 record to start the year, coming off a 4-0 sweep Feb. 27 against Mississippi Valley State on Feb. 27.
First serve for Saturday's match against Alabama State is set for 2 p.m. Sunday's match time against Alabama A&M is TBA.
