TEMPE, Ariz. – After suffering their first SAC loss of the 2022 spring, Carson-Newman men's tennis remains a top-30 team for the latest ITA rankings, dropping three spots to no. 27. This is the fourth straight week for which the Orange and Blue have been ranked after holding the no. 24 position for the previous two weeks as well as holding their first national ranking under head coach Jim Frederick to start off March.
So far in 2022, the Eagles sit at 11-4 overall and remain a top tier program in the South Atlantic Conference. In SAC play for 2022, the Eagles have dropped one result as they would fall to no. 25 Lenoir-Rhyne last Saturday.
Meanwhile, C-N freshman Marnix Van Dalen (Netherlands) continues to be one of the top singles players in all DII, coming in at no. 37 for the latest rankings.
The Eagles continue to have one of the best spring seasons in program history as they have amassed double-digit wins for the first time since 2009, as far back as records show. In their collection of wins, the Eagles are outscoring opponents 77-30 overall. The closest margin of victory for C-N this season came against DIII powerhouse, Sewanee, when the aforementioned Van Dalen played hero to clinch the 5-4 victory on Feb. 15.
In his debut season for the Eagles, Van Dalen has gone 17-8 overall, including 9-6 in the spring and 5-1 in SAC play. Most notably, it was the freshman who clinched the team win for C-N over DIII powerhouse Sewanee in mid-February.
As Van Dalen comes in as the highest ranked SAC player in the latest rankings, he is joined by Queen's Edorado Bottino (#45), Lenoir-Rhyne's Rhodri Atkinson (#47) and Tusculum's Fransesco Bonacia (#50) as the other South Atlantic Conference men's singles players to be ranked in the top 75 for the March 31 poll.
Carson-Newman is one of six total teams representing the South Atlantic Conference in the Division II team rankings for the week of March 31. Right ahead of the Eagles is Lenoir-Rhyne as the highest ranked SAC program as they come in at no. 25. The other SAC programs to be ranked are Queens (N.C.) at 31st, Wingate is tied for 38th, Tusculum is 43rd, and Anderson is 47th.
The Eagles will be in action for a battle of nationally ranked foes when they welcome in a foe who they have never beaten in program history. The no. 27 Eagles will welcome no. 38 Wingate on Saturday for a 10 a.m. first serve as the Orange and Blue will look for their first win in series history (0-12).
Be sure to keep up with all things Carson-Newman men's tennis via cneagles.com and on all social media outlets.
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