JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. -No. 26 Carson-Newman men's tennis (6-6) returns to the Buddy Catlett Tennis Complex on Saturday, Mar. 25th, to take on the Coker Cobras (2-8).
The Eagles are 3-5 all-time against the Cobras but won their last two matchups against Coker. Carson-Newman won 4-3 in Mar. of 2021 before shutting the Cobras out 7-0 last season.
Carson-Newman jumped up 22 spots in the ITA's Division II National Rankings, marking their best placement since Apr. 7th of last year. Marc Janse was placed on the ITA's top-75 for the second consecutive week when he landed 72nd on the list.
Felipe Charry's squad is 4-1 since conference play began at the beginning of March. The Eagles won their first three conference games when they defeated Catawba 6-1 in the home opener, followed by a 7-0 victory over Lenoir-Rhyne and a 6-1 win over Limestone.
Carson-Newman suffered their first conference loss against #30 Tusculum. The Eagles played admirably, but it was a last-set victory by Tusculum's Frank Bonacia over Rintaro Oka that clinched Tusculum's win.
The Eagles rallied to take down the unbeaten #17 Anderson squad in a dominant 6-1 effort. The Trojans were the last undefeated team in the conference before the Eagles captured the win.
The Eagles currently hold the fourth-best record in SAC competitions with a 4-1 record. Wingate is the top team, with a 5-0 record in conference play and a 9-2 record overall. Tusculum is second with a 4-0 record in conference play and an 8-4 record overall. Anderson is the final team above the Eagles, with a 5-1 record in conference play and a 9-1 record overall. Coker is the SAC's 10th team, with a 1-4 record in conference play and an 8-2 record overall.
The Cobras picked up their first win of the season when they defeated Johnson C. Smith University 7-0. Their only other win of the season came last Sunday when the Cobras took down UVA-Wise 5-2.
Gjorgji Jankulovski and no. 73 Marc Janse lead the Eagles in singles victories with 9. Janse has won eight straight matchups, and Jankulovski has won five straight. Jance could record his 50th career win with a singles victory over Coker.
Van Dalen ranks second on the team with eight singles victories. Van Dalen is 7-1 playing as Carson-Newman's two. Waterbolk is fourth on the team with six wins but is Carson-Newman's second-winningest player in program history with 44 singles victories.
Doubles action will begin at 1:00 P.M. at Carson-Newman's Buddy Catlett Tennis Complex.
For more information on Carson-Newman tennis, visit cneagles.com or follow Carson-Newman athletics on social media.
