University of Tennessee Athletics
University of Tennessee
Tennessee Tech
Vols Split Last Tennis Doubleheader Before SEC Play
February 27, 2016 | Men's Tennis
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- The Tennessee men's tennis team split an outdoor-indoor doubleheader Saturday in the final weekend before Southeastern Conference play.
The Vols (6-4) lost to Georgia Tech 4-0 in the outdoor debut at Barksdale Stadium. In the second half of the doubleheader, Tennessee beat Tennessee Tech 4-3 inside Goodfriend Tennis Center after clinching the match at 4-0.
Georgia Tech got the doubles point and won five of six first sets to start the afternoon. Freshman Timo Stodder had a chance to serve out his match on court 3 but did not convert, and the Yellow Jackets got the shutout with victories on courts 5, 2 and 1.
Moving indoors, the Vols rolled to the doubles point with wins on the top two courts. The Vols went on to winning the first set of singles on four of six courts. Preston Touliatos on court 5 and Stodder on court 3 won in straight sets to push the Vols ahead 3-0. Freshman Jack Heslin, in the singles lineup Saturday for the first time since Jan. 25, clinched the match with a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 victory over Jorge Alfonzo on court 6.
Tennessee Tech won the remaining three matches in three sets to make the final score 4-3.
The Southeastern Conference season starts next weekend with the Vols hosting Ole Miss on Friday and Arkansas on Sunday.
"Today was not how I wanted it to go, but what I do like is that we got a good match outside," Tennessee head coach Sam Winterbotham said. "The team gave really great effort in both matches and got a lot of tennis in today. I think that was great preparation.
"We wanted to go 2-0 today, but that didn't happen. Credit Georgia Tech. They fought really well and played well. Now all that matters is the SEC. We want to be the best team in the SEC every year. If you're able to do that, you're one of the best teams in the country."
BOX SCORES
Georgia Tech 4, Tennessee 0
Singles
1. #12 Christopher Eubanks, GT, def. #125 Luis Valero, UT, 6-3, 4-6, 6-0
2. Carlos Benito, GT, def. Jack Schipanski, UT, 7-5, 6-1
3. Timo Stodder, UT, vs. Andrew Li, GT, 6-3, 6-6 unf.
4. Srdjan Jakovljevic, UT, vs. Cole Fiegel, GT, 5-7, 5-4, unf.
5. Michael Kay, GT, def. Preston Touliatos, UT, 6-3, 7-6(2)
6. Jack Heslin, UT, vs. Nathan Rakitt, GT, 5-7, 5-4 unf.
Doubles
1. #42 Valero/Schipanski, UT, vs. #41 Kay/Kay, GT, 3-4 unf.
2. Benito/Eubanks, GT, def. Heslin/Touliatos, GT, 6-3
3. Rakitt/Li, GT, def. Jakovljevic/Stodder, UT, 6-2
Order of Finish: Doubles (3,2), Singles (5,2,1).
Tennessee 4, Tennessee Tech 3
Singles
1. Eduardo Mena, TTU, def. #125 Luis Valero, UT, 7-5, 4-6, 7-6(2)
2. Alex Arovin, TTU, def. Jack Schipanski, UT, 6-3, 2-6, 7-5
3. Timo Stodder, UT, def. Alberto Esteban, TTU, 6-4, 6-3
4. Guillermo Nicolas, TTU, def. Srdjan Jakovljevic, UT, 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
5. Preston Touliatos, UT, def. Marcos Bernardes, TT, 6-3, 6-2
6. Jack Heslin, UT, def. Jorge Alfonzo, TTU, 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
Doubles
1. #42 Valero/Schipanski, UT, def. Arovin/Esteban, TTU, 6-4
2. Touliatos/Heslin, UT, def. Mena/Bernardes, TTU, 6-4
3. Jakovljevic/Stodder, UT, vs. Alfonzo/Nicolas, TTU, 4-3 unf.
Order of Finish: Doubles (2,1);
