Men's Tennis Welcomes SEC’s Ole Miss for Doubleheader Saturday

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Belmont University men's tennis team will put its six-match winning streak on the line Saturday at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex when the Bruins host 60th-ranked Ole Miss in a doubleheader. First serve of the opening match is set for 2:30 p.m. with the second match to follow at approximately 5:30 p.m.
 
An unblemished 4-0 in Horizon League play, Belmont (9-7) returns to the Music City after sweeping Eastern Illinois (7-0) and Lindenwood (4-0) on the road last weekend. The Bruins are 1-1 at the Beaman Family Tennis Complex this season.
 
Earlier this week, junior Ian Cruz and senior Alfred Wallin swept the Horizon League's weekly honors as Cruz garnered his first Horizon League Singles Player of the Week award and Cruz and Wallin were tabbed Horizon League Doubles Team of the Week. Cruz is a perfect 17-0 in conference singles matches for his career.
 
Senior Tomas Luis has compiled 73 singles wins across four seasons and is only one victory shy of breaking the program's career record, which was set by Marko Ilic (2018-21, 2022-23) last spring.
 
Both Luis and Cruz are on lengthy singles winning streaks with Cruz having won nine in a row and Luis six straight. In fact, Luis and Cruz have combined to go 27-4 across the No. 2 and No. 3 singles positions this year.
 
The nationally-ranked Rebels (10-14) were defeated 5-2 at 22nd-ranked Alabama Friday evening in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Competing in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference, Ole Miss has lost eight of its last nine matches. The Rebels are 2-10 in the SEC and 2-6 in true road matches entering Saturday.
 
Ole Miss' top singles player, senior Nikola Slavic, is ranked 50th in the nation, while the Rebels' No. 1 doubles tandem of Slavic and fellow senior Lukas Engelhardt is 68th nationally.
 
Last March, Belmont faced then 59th-ranked Ole Miss in a doubleheader in Oxford, Mississippi. The Bruins took the doubles point in the first match with wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. In the second match, Belmont won the doubles point once again with triumphs at the No. 2 and No. 3 spots before Luis claimed a straight-set win at No. 5 singles.
 
The two programs met in the first round of both the 2021 and 2006 NCAA Championships in Mississippi.
 
Up Next
The Bruins wrap up the regular season next Saturday, April 20 at home versus Tennessee Tech. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m. from the Beaman Family Tennis Complex.
 
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