Men's Tennis Hosts Samford Friday, Visits Top-25 Memphis Sunday

 
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Following a pair of road matches, the Belmont University men's tennis team returns to action in the Music City Friday afternoon against Samford. The Bruins will play their first match of the season on campus at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex with Belmont hosting the Bulldogs for a 2 p.m. first serve.
 
On Sunday, the Bruins will travel to west Tennessee where Belmont will face 20th-ranked Memphis. First serve from the Leftwich Tennis Center in Memphis is slated for 4 p.m.
 
This week, senior Tomas Luis was tabbed Horizon League Singles Player of the Week after claiming a three-set win at No. 2 singles against now 29th-ranked Louisville last Saturday on the road. Luis is 3-2 on the season at the second singles spot.
 
Junior Ian Cruz is also off to a strong start to his season with a 4-1 mark at No. 3 singles.
 
The Bruins (1-4) claimed a 4-3 win at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Sunday, Feb. 11 as senior Alfred Wallin clinched the match at the top singles spot with a three-set triumph. Fellow senior Niklas von Hellens provided an equally key win in three sets at No. 4 singles.
 
Belmont defeated Samford 6-1 last March in Birmingham, Alabama. After taking the doubles point, the Bruins won five of six singles matches.
 
Sunday will be the first meeting between Belmont and the Tigers since January of 2019. Memphis won that matchup, 6-1.
 
The Bulldogs enter the weekend 5-4 on the season riding a two-match winning streak. However, Samford is 0-4 on the road this season with losses at Auburn (7-0), South Alabama (6-1), Georgia Tech (7-0) and Kennesaw State (4-3). Last Saturday, the Bulldogs swept Southern Miss and Birmingham-Southern.
 
The Tigers are 8-2 on the year with their only losses coming against top-10 ranked Stanford (4-0) on neutral courts and now 24th-ranked Mississippi State (4-3) at home. Memphis features the 25th-ranked doubles team of junior Pablo Alemany and redshirt senior Charlie Barry.
 
Also winners of two in a row, the Tigers take on 46th-ranked LSU Friday evening in Memphis.
 
Up Next
The Bruins will have eight days off from match action before playing three matches over spring break in the Sunshine State. Belmont will face NCAA Division II member Ferris State on neutral courts in Winter Park, Florida, on Monday, March 4 before heading to North Florida on Wednesday, March 6 and Stetson University on Thursday, March 7.
 
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