The Ole Miss men’s and women’s tennis teams look to carry their momentum from their respective wins against Mississippi State into matches against Florida and South Carolina this weekend. Freshman Zach Wilder, an Oxford native, will also make his singles debut in SEC play Friday.
Senior offensive guard A.J. Hawkins. (Ignacio Murillo/The DM)
Coming off a 4-2 win at No. 13 Mississippi State this past weekend, the No. 7-ranked Ole Miss men’s tennis team returns home for a pair of matches this weekend.
“It’s one of those wins that help propel a team,” head coach Billy Chadwick said.
“The guys have a lot of confidence going into this Florida match, and we’re getting to play here at home, so hopefully, we take advantage of that.”
With three matches remaining before the conference tournament April 17-21 in Oxford, the Rebels (13-5, 6-3 Southeastern Conference) sit atop the SEC Western Division and are tied for second overall with Kentucky behind SEC-leading Georgia.
“Every one of these matches are very, very important when you look at the big picture, when you look at the NCAA selections, when you look at the host site selections, and we still got our eye on the SEC West championship,” Chadwick said.
Ole Miss has three players nationally ranked, led by sophomore Nik Scholtz (No. 8) and senior Jonas Lutjen (No. 12), followed by sophomore William Kallberg (No. 84). Scholtz and Lutjen also combine for the nation’s No. 4-ranked doubles team.
Freshman Zach Wilder will also make his singles debut Friday, at No. 6 singles. The Oxford High School product has combined with Kallberg for a 1-3 record in doubles play, including a 8-4 win against Mississippi State.
“Zach has been working and playing really well in practice,” Chadwick said.
“And he really did a great job in doubles at Mississippi State. He and William Kallberg clinched the doubles point for us, so we really have seen him grow up before our eyes.
“We feel that he’s ready, and he’s earned the chance to go out and play his first SEC match in singles.”
Ole Miss hosts No. 17 Florida Friday at 4 p.m. at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. The Gators (10-8, 4-4 SEC) split this past weekend, losing to LSU, 4-2, and then defeating Arkansas, 4-0. Florida has three players nationally ranked, led by junior Florent Diep (No. 102).
On Sunday, Ole Miss will celebrate senior day, honoring seniors Lutjen and Adrian Forberg Skogeng, as the Rebels play No. 20 South Carolina (15-7, 5-3 SEC) at 1 p.m. at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center.
The Gamecocks have won four matches in a row, including a sweep against Arkansas and LSU this past weekend. South Carolina has one nationally ranked player in sophomore Andrew Adams (No. 90).
Lady Netters hit the road against Florida, South Carolina
The No. 37-ranked Ole Miss women’s tennis team carries a five-match win streak on the road with matches against No. 2 Florida Friday, then No. 29 South Carolina Sunday.
In their last SEC action, the Rebels (10-9, 4-5 SEC) defeated Mississippi State, 4-1, their 24th straight win in the series. Ole Miss also completed doubleheader sweeps of Jackson State and Southern Miss as part of its winning streak.
Florida (15-2, 8-1 SEC) is in a four-way tie for first place in the SEC standings with Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee. Florida rides an eight-match win streak after sweeping LSU and Arkansas this past weekend.
The Gators have seven nationally ranked players, led by the nation’s No. 1-ranked player, senior Lauren Embree, who boasts a 110-14 career record, including 79-5 in dual match play and a perfect 37-0 in SEC play.
South Carolina (11-8, 4-5 SEC), like Florida, swept LSU and Arkansas this past weekend and sits in a tie with Ole Miss for eighth place in the SEC standings.
The Gamecocks have two nationally ranked players in senior Jaklin Alawi (No. 87) and junior Katerina Popova (No. 98), the reigning SEC Player of the Week.
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