Men's Tennis Heads to Southern Indiana, Tennessee Tech Over Weekend

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – With a 1-0 start to Horizon League play and a three-match winning streak in hand, the Belmont University men's tennis team embarks on a two-match road trip this weekend. The Bruins, who sit at 10-5 overall on the season, travel to Evansville, Indiana, and Southern Indiana Saturday afternoon before heading to Cookeville, Tennessee, and Tennessee Tech Sunday afternoon. Both matches are scheduled for a 2 p.m. first serve.
 
The preseason favorite to win both the Horizon League South Division and the conference as a whole in its first year in the league, Belmont began by sweeping Tennessee State Thursday afternoon at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex in Nashville. Remaining undefeated at home (7-0), the Bruins earned their fourth sweep of the season with dominant play throughout their lineup.
 
Belmont's top doubles duo of graduate student Marko Ilic and junior Riccardo Trione is ranked 76th in the nation. The pair has won six straight and is an impressive 11-1 on the year.
 
Saturday afternoon's match will be the first-ever meeting between the Bruins and the Screaming Eagles, who are still in the transition process from NCAA Division II. Southern Indiana is 5-9 overall and off to a 1-1 start in Horizon League play following a pair of 4-3 matches. The Screaming Eagles defeated Eastern Illinois 4-3 last Saturday in Danville, Illinois, before dropping a 4-3 decision at Lindenwood last Sunday.
 
Southern Indiana was picked fifth out of six teams in the Horizon League South Division preseason poll and is coming off a 7-0 home rout of Division III Hanover College Tuesday afternoon.
 
Belmont and the Golden Eagles combined for the last nine Ohio Valley Conference regular season championships with the Bruins defeating Tennessee Tech 5-2 last April in the Music City for the 2022 title. Despite the Bruins claiming their fourth OVC regular season championship and earning the top seed for the conference tournament, the second-seeded Golden Eagles topped Belmont 4-1 in the title match.
 
The Bruins won the doubles point in both matchups with Tennessee Tech last season, however, the Golden Eagles won four of the top five singles flights in straight sets in the 2023 OVC Tournament championship. During last year's regular season meeting, Belmont got singles wins at the No. 2, No. 3, No. 4 and No. 6 spots with victories from current Bruins Tomas Luis, Ian Cruz and Alfred Wallin.
 
Picked second in the Horizon League South Division preseason predicted order of finish with a singular first-place vote, Tennessee Tech was chosen third in the overall preseason poll.
 
After going 0-10 in non-conference action, the Golden Eagles began Horizon League play last weekend with a pair of convincing road wins. Tennessee Tech swept Lindenwood (7-0) last Friday and bested the Panthers of EIU 6-1 last Sunday.
 
The Golden Eagles host the Tigers of TSU Saturday afternoon.
 
Up Next
Belmont returns to the Beaman Family Tennis Complex next weekend where the Bruins will host EIU on Saturday, April 1 and the Lions of Lindenwood on Sunday, April 2.
 
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