Nik Scholtz hits a drop shot during a match against Michigan Jan. 25. Photo: Thomas Graning, The Daily Mississippian.
Today will be a new day for the Ole Miss men’s tennis team as it begins Southeastern Conference play against Auburn today and Alabama on Sunday. It will be the first match of the season at Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, if the weather permits.
Over the past weekend, the Rebels played their first outdoor matches of the season in Texas against SMU and Baylor. The Rebels started the Texas road trip with a convincing win over SMU 4-0, but struggled against then-No. 7-ranked Baylor and lost 0-4. The Rebels swept doubles play with wins by Stefan Lindmark and Johan Backstrom, Nik Scholtz and Ricardo Jorge, and William Kallberg and Joe Rogers. The Rebels picked up three wins in singles by Kallberg, Lindmark and Jorge, which sealed the victory. Baylor posed a tough task for the Rebels, as they were not able to overcome a tough Baylor squad. The Rebels did not pick up a point in the match but fought hard through every match.
The opening weekend for the Rebels will provide no easy task, as No. 31-ranked Auburn and No. 37 Alabama come to Oxford.
Auburn has started the season strong so far, as it boasts a 10-4 overall record, while going 6-0 at home. The Tigers’ last matches took place in the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic from Feb. 21-23, in which they went 1-2, beating Mississippi State 4-1 and losing to Texas Tech 3-4 and to Alabama 1-4.
Alabama has a 6-5 overall record. It finished the Blue Gray National Tennis Classic with a record of 2-1 with wins over Auburn and Princeton. The loss came against Boise State.
“It’s a big opening weekend for us at home,” head coach Billy Chadwick said. “It’s already been proven this season that any team can beat any other team in the SEC. It’s going to be a tough weekend, because Alabama and Auburn both have quality programs.”
Today’s match is set to begin at 2 p.m., and Sunday’s match is scheduled for a 1 p.m. start.
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss men’s tennis, follow @drubino11 and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
