ANDERSON, S.C. – The Anderson Trojans men's tennis team begins its conference season Saturday at 2:00 p.m. against the Lenoir-Rhyne Bears. AU looks to build off of a 4-1 fall record, after having their spring opener at Columbus State postponed due to inclement weather. Both of the past two seasons' matchups have resulted in 4-3 AU wins.
Match Information:
Who: Anderson Trojans (4-1, 0-0 SAC) vs. Lenoir-Rhyne Bears (3-1, 1-0 SAC)
Where: Trojan Tennis Complex, Anderson, S.C.
When: Saturday, February 24, 2024
Time: 2:00 p.m.
Last Meeting at AU: AU won 4-3 on April 2, 2022
Last Meeting at Lenoir-Rhyne: AU won 4-3 on March 20, 2023
Series History: AU leads 12-2, including a 7-0 home record
COACH'S CORNER
"We're looking forward to starting the spring season with our home opener with Lenoir-Rhyne," said AU Head Coach Joey Eskridge. "It's always a super competitive match on both sides with those guys, so it will be a tough out for both programs but [we're] excited for the challenge."
SAC PRESEASON POLL
AU slots in at fourth in the preseason SAC poll, while Lenoir-Rhyne was voted eighth. The full poll is below:
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Wingate (12 first-place votes)
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Carson-Newman
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Tusculum
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ANDERSON
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Limestone
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Lincoln Memorial
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Catawba (1 first-place vote)
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LENOIR-RHYNE
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Newberry
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Coker
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Mars Hill
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Emory & Henry
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UVA Wise
SCOUTING LENOIR-RHYNE
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The Bears enter Saturday's match off of a 7-0 win on Tuesday afternoon at Mars Hill.
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Junior Zachary Cox has found singles success for the Bears, winning both of his matches at the No. 2 position this season.
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In doubles, sophomores Rufus Plane and Vadym Rogynskyi recorded two wins in fall competition at the No. 1 spot. The pair clinched the doubles point for Lenoir-Rhyne in Tuesday's match with a 7-6(1) win.
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First-year head coach Sam Clarke takes over in Hickory after a successful four-year coaching run. Most recently, he was the assistant coach for Cornell women's tennis.
LAST TIME HERE
The Black and Gold took down the Bears 4-3 on the road last season. Lenoir-Rhyne swept all three doubles matches, but AU grabbed the victory with four singles wins, including a three-set victory at the No. 4 position.
GOING FOR GOLD(MAN)
Sophomore Hampton Goldman capped off a successful fall slate with three doubles wins alongside partner Mathis Collignon at the No. 3 spot. The Greenwood, S.C. native also notched three singles victories, including a 7-5, 6-3 win to clinch the 4-3 team win over Young Harris.
FOLLOW THE TROJANS ON SOCIALS
Keep up with the team at AUTrojans.com for coverage of the Anderson men's tennis team during the season, and keep up with the team on Instagram @autrojansmtennis and on X @AU_MTEN.
UP NEXT
AU stays at home in SAC play to take on the Lincoln Memorial Railsplitters on Sunday, March 3rd. The Trojan Tennis Complex will host the 1:00 p.m. matchup.
Written by AU student-athlete Drew Cagle
