JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – Opening weekend for Carson-Newman tennis features a pair of opponents that will challenge the Eagles as they look to start strong in the spring slate of action.
"We keep preaching effort and attitude and the results take care of themselves," head coach Jim Frederick said. "As much as I want to win, the result, I really don't focus on it as much as I do their effort and their attitude and being consistent."
Friday's head-to-head season opener against Martin Methodist College is the first matchup for both the men and women since 2017 at the Lincoln Memorial Roundup, which saw C-N earn a pair of victories across both divisions.
Last season, the RedHawks men's tennis team played its way to a 6-13 record, while the women finished 8-11, respectively. An NAIA member of the Southern States Athletic Conference, both sides were selected to finish fifth in the SSAC preseason coaches poll.
A much taller task stands in the way Saturday when C-N hosts the Lee Flames, who each earned 15-plus victories across both divisions last season. Both teams finished in the top-5 in a heavily competitive Gulf South Conference, earning five nominations across both teams to the GSC All-Conference Second Team to end 2019. Four of the five honorees return to the Flames this season, spread equally across both teams.
Despite this, however, Frederick sees a lot of raw potential in his team that will feature a flurry of new players and combinations for both men's and women's singles and doubles.
"What I'm concerned about is that we're better than we were last year," Frederick said. "How much better? That's yet to be determined. But obviously every year as we build this program, we want to get better."
Lee's men's tennis team defeated C-N by a 5-2 final last season en-route to earning a program-high 17 total victories, including the team's first ever win in the GSC tournament. All time, Lee holds a 3-1 advantage in the matchup, with the Eagles' lone win coming in 2014.
C-N's women have seen more success in putting out the flame, leading the all-time series 3-1 over Lee. Last season saw the Eagles defeated, however, by a convincing 7-0 margin. It was one of only three losses that left C-N unable to capture a single victory across the table.
Lee's 16-6 record in 2019 saw the team double its win total from 2018 where the Flames finished the season at 8-9. Postseason play fell just short for the squad, however, dropping a close match to conference front-runner Valdosta State by a 4-3 final.
Opening serve from the Knoxville Racquet Club is set for Friday at 6 p.m. against the WarHawks and Saturday at 2 p.m. versus the Flames.
