VIDEO: Jim Frederick Previews Wingate Invitational

WINGATE, N.C. - The Carson-Newman men's tennis team begins its fall season Saturday, Sept. 7 at 9 a.m. at the Wingate Invitational in Wingate, N.C.

The event signals a new day for C-N as they look to bounce back from a difficult 2018 campaign that saw the Eagles secure just three total team victories. The team finished in 9th place in the SAC, going just 2-8 in conference play with consecutive wins over Mars Hill and Catawba in late March.

Carson-Newman's only non-conference victory came against the University of Virginia at Wise where they soared to a 7-0 win.

"The one difference that we've had since last year is we've gotten physically bigger and stronger," head coach Jim Frederick said. "We have a 6'-8", a 6-4" and two 6'-2" boys all who can play some offense which we didn't have last year."

In regard to the returners, Senior Gabriel Dabdab (Brazil) looks to bounce back from a challenging junior season in which he sealed just one victory in 16 matches as the top-seeded Eagle in singles play.

Frederick intends to use a jam-packed autumn schedule to help prepare his team for the long-haul. The second-year Eagle coach has set up a total of five events for the first half of the season, the most in program history. 

"Well it's important in the fall because it's not dual matches," Frederick said.

"So it's a different pressure so the freshmen, we have four new freshmen, there's a possibility that one can play number one and in the fall he doesn't have to worry about winning number one."

Updates throughout the game can be found on Twitter via @CNathletics.