JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman men's tennis team will battle one of the nation's best tennis programs when No. 13 North Georgia travels to Mossy Creek on Wednesday for a 2 p.m. first serve.
"North Georgia is the toughest opponent we will face this season." Carson-Newman tennis coach Jean Love said, "They pose a tremendous challenge for us. This match will be good preparation for us as we get ready to face Queens on Friday. We need to continue to do the things that have helped us so far and clean up those areas that we are still working on."
Carson-Newman (7-8, 5-5) has started to build some momentum over the past few weeks, with wins over Mars Hill, Brevard and the University of the Cumberlands. North Georgia (16-2) has won back-to-back games against Augusta and No. 24 Flagler.
The Eagles have four players that have a winning streak of at least three matches. Joao Pedro Oliveira (Brazil) has a five game winning streak and is 11-6 overall on the year at No. 1 singles. Kevin Mendes (Chattanooga, Tenn.) also has a five game winning streak for the Eagles. The junior from Chattanooga is 11-2 on the season at the No. 6 singles position.
Stefano Daza (Venezuela) is 8-9 overall on the season and has won his past four matches. The senior has played mainly at the No. 4 singles position this season. Gabriel Dabdab has had a stellar freshman campaign going 10-5 this season. Dabdab has won three consecutive matches and has played primarily at the No. 5 singles position.
Marc Bantel (Germany) and Rodolfo Schwarz (Brazil) round out singles play for the Eagles. Bantel has moved up and down the lineup from the No.2, No. 3 and No. 4 singles position. The junior has compiled a 5-11 record this season. Schwarz is 3-9 this season, playing mainly at the No. 2 singles spot.
The top doubles team for Carson-Newman is Dabdab and Oliveria. The duo are 11-5 on the year and currently have a four match winning streak. The tandem have played primarily at the No.2 doubles spot this season.
The No. 1 doubles team of Daza and Schwarz are just 3-9 on the season and are looking to end the season on a high note. Jesus Bacete-Sanz and Mendes make up the final pairing in doubles play and have won three straight matches.
Every player on the North Georgia roster has a winning record on the season. Niklas Zielen is the leader of the team at No. 1 singles. Zielen is 13-3 on the season and is 12-2 at the No. 1 spot. The lineup only gets tougher with Alexander Reinauer at the No.2 position. Reinauer is 15-2 on the year with 13 wins coming at the No. 2 spot.
The No.3 singles player is Andre Canino is 13-3 this season and has seen time at the No.1, No.3, No.4 and No.5 singles spots. Hugues Renaud is 12-3 this season and is a perfect 6-0 at the No. 4 singles position.
In the final two singles positions Lukas Moritzen, Jared Bones, and Mark Laishley alternate time at each position. Moritzen is 9-1 at the No. 5 singles spot and is 15-1 overall on the season. Moritzen is also currently riding an 11-match winning streak. Bones and Laishly have combined to go 6-6 at the No. 6 singles position.
The top pairing for North Georgia is Reinauer and Zielen. The tandem is 15-3 on the season and is currently on a two match winning streak. The No. 2 doubles team is Canino and Moritzen, who are 12-4 this season. The final pairing is Bones and Renaud who are 7-4 this season.
