JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman men's tennis team heads back on the road after a short week to compete in the Belmont Abbey Invitational on Thursday and Friday.
The Eagles faced stout competition this past weekend at the ITA Championships, which proved to be a good test early in the fall season.
"The competition was much tougher than I expected," head coach Jon Parker said. "
Paul Gayk faced off against the 3-seeded Hugo Regner, and Gayk had a competitive showing against tough early-season competition.
"It was a tough match with windy conditions," Gayk said. "He stepped up at the big points in the match, and that's why he beat me… It's good to face guys like that early on to prepare for the Spring when it matters."
With only two tournaments under their belt so far in the fall season, Gayk sees chemistry building between him and his teammates.
"I think our team chemistry is really good," Gayk said. "We support each other while we're not playing, no matter if we already lost."
Going into the Belmont Abbey Invitational, coach Parker is encouraged by the team's early season performance and knows there's much to build on this week.
"A lot to learn from," Parker said. "I'm very confident in our players' skill levels… Shot for shot, we have just as much as they do. We need to start instilling more confidence into our games and the fact that we belong in this region."
The Eagles take the court in Belmont on Thursday at 9 a.m. to kick off the two-day tournament.
