Men's Tennis Hosts Tennessee Tech and Southern Indiana to Finish Home Slate

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Seeking its second consecutive conference regular season title, the Belmont University men's tennis team closes out the home portion of its 2023 campaign this weekend at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex. The Bruins, who lead the Horizon League South Division with an unblemished 7-0 record, go for the regular season sweep of Tennessee Tech and Southern Indiana.
 
Belmont hosts the Golden Eagles (4-12, 4-1 Horizon) Saturday at 1 p.m. for senior day before welcoming the Screaming Eagles (5-12, 1-4 Horizon) Sunday. The home finale versus Southern Indiana was originally scheduled for an 11 a.m. first serve Sunday but with forecasted rain in the morning, match time will be determined Saturday evening.
 
Prior to the start of Saturday's pivotal contest with Tennessee Tech, graduate student Marko Ilic and senior Jack Randall will be honored on court.
 
Live scoring will be available for both weekend matches at BelmontBruins.com.
 
Winners of nine straight, the Bruins are two weekend victories from capturing the Horizon League South Division crown. Belmont won four regular season championships during its 10-year run in the Ohio Valley Conference, including last year's title.
 
Last weekend, the Bruins routed Lindenwood (6-1) and Eastern Illinois (7-0) on the road. With its seventh sweep of the season, Belmont tied the program's single-season record for wins. At 16-5, the Bruins have a chance to set the school record this weekend.
 
Head coach Mauricio Antun earned his 100th men's dual match win last Saturday with Belmont's triumph over the Panthers.
 
On Wednesday, the nationally-ranked duo of Ilic and junior Riccardo Trione earned its fifth Horizon League Doubles Team of the Week plaudit of the season. The tandem has won 11 in a row and is an impressive 16-1 at the top doubles spot. Ilic and Trione are ranked 76th nationally in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) doubles rankings released Tuesday.
 
The Bruins and Golden Eagles combined for the last nine OVC regular season championships with Belmont defeating Tennessee Tech 5-2 last April in the Music City for the 2022 title. On March 26, the Bruins topped the Golden Eagles 6-1 in Cookeville, Tennessee. Tennessee Tech's lone win came at No. 1 singles.
 
After winning four of five, the Golden Eagles were swept 4-0 at Middle Tennessee Friday afternoon. Tennessee Tech is 3-10 on the road this season.
 
Belmont breezed past the Screaming Eagles 4-0 in Evansville, Indiana, on March 25. After taking the doubles point with 6-2 victories at the first and third spots, the Bruins gave up only eight combined games in straight-set wins at No. 2-4 singles.
 
Southern Indiana has lost four of its last five and is on a three-match slide. The Screaming Eagles, who face Tennessee State Saturday morning in Nashville, haven't played since April 1 when they were handed a 5-2 setback by the Golden Eagles at home.
 
Up Next
Next Friday, Belmont wraps up the regular season against the Tigers of Tennessee State. First serve from the TSU Tennis Complex across town is set for 2 p.m.
 
Follow Belmont men's tennis on social media – @BelmontMTennis on Twitter and @belmontmtennis on Instagram – for complete coverage of the Bruins. Stay up to date with all of Belmont's athletic programs via the official app of the Belmont Bruins, available both in the Apple App Store and on Google Play.