JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman starts the regular season in Harrogate, Tenn., when they take on Belmont Abbey on Saturday, Feb. 4th. The Eagles will then transition to their matchup with North Georgia on Sunday.
Last Friday, the Eagles were picked fourth in the conference preseason poll after finishing 14-8 last year, including an 8-4 record in the SAC.
"Our goal for this year is to make it within the top three of the conference, make it into the final, and then get the conference championship," Tennis coach Felipe Charry said. "They're all ready to play. It's just a matter of everyone staying healthy, playing smart, and figuring out how much they'll play and where they'll play."
Carson-Newman's men's team boasts four singles All-Conference honors and one doubles honor. Marc Janse and Marnix Van Dalen landed in the first All-Conference team. Janse finished last year with an overall record of 22-10, playing primarily in the no. two spot where he racked up 17 wins. Van Dalen finished 20-12, picking up 12 wins in the no. one spot.
Juniors Lars Hordijk and Gjorgji Jankulovski were placed on the second All-Conference team. Hordijk finished last year with an overall record of 24-8, racking up 9 of those wins in conference play. Jankulovski held a record of 23-7 while boasting an 11-1 record in conference play.
Hordijk and Janse were also named to the second all-conference doubles team. The duo held a record of 20-12 last season.
Charry plans to deploy Janse in the one spot, Van Dalen in the two, Jankulovski in the three, Rintaro Oka in the four, and Ids Waterbolk in the final singles spot.
Last year, Belmont Abbey finished with a respectable record of 22-17, including a perfect 10-0 record within their conference, the Conference Carolinas.
Carson-Newman defeated Belmont Abbey last season 5-2. The Eagles dominated doubles play, winning all three matchups. Van Dalen and Janse won their matches in singles action playing the one and two positions. Jankulovoski dropped his match in the three in a tightly contested overtime match. Hordijk and Ids Waterbolk won in the four and the five, followed by Joshua Ott dropping his matchup in the no. six spot.
The Eagles last played North Georgia last year on Feb. 6th. Carson-Newman lost the match 4-3, marking the 11th straight loss to the Nighthawks.
Last year, North Georgia finished the season with a record of 15-7. The Nighthawks were able to advance to the round of 32 in the southeast regional tournament but eventually fell 4-0 to Flagler College. On Sunday, Carson-Newman will look for their first win against North Georgia in program history.
The opening serves for the Eagles will commence at 1:00 P.M. at Lincoln Memorial University's indoor tennis complex against Belmont Abbey.
For a full recap of the weekend's action, visit CNEagles.com or follow Carson-Newman Athletics on social media.
