NORFOLK, Va. – The Old Dominion men’s tennis team (7-3) will be back in action this weekend for two matches. First, this Friday, February 28, the Tennis Monarchs will welcome the Pirates from Hampton University at 4:00 p.m. On Sunday, March 2, ODU will take on the Ivy League’s Yale University in New Haven, Conn. at 2:00 p.m.
Carlos Lopez Villa enters this weekend nationally ranked No. 56, after starting the season perfectly with a 10-0 record. Lopez Villa is now on a 17 match regular season winning streak during, dating all the way back to last season on March 11 of 2013. In doubles, Darragh Glavin and Lopez Villa are 5-1 together.
Old Dominion’s Zvonimir Podvinski is also off to a great start, as he is currently 8-2 in single’s action to this point.
For ODU’s senior Dante Terenzio, Sunday will be sort of a homecoming, as the left-hander reigns from Samford, Conn. Terenzio is 6-4 in single’s play this season. The duo of Podvinski and Terenzio have combined for a 6-4 record in doubles competition.
About the Hampton Pirates (2-3) – Friday February 28 at 4:00 p.m. at the Folkes-Stevens Tennis Center
The Hampton Pirates are coming off a 7-0 loss to the Richmond Spiders in their last match on Feb. 15. The Pirates began the season with two wins against the University of Arkansas- Pine Bluff but have lost three in a row since then.
Hampton is coached by John Atiomo who is entering his second full season as head coach of the Hampton University men’s and women’s tennis programs. Under Atiomo the Pirates advanced to the MEAC Championships in 2012 and went 3-1 in conference play.
Hampton Probable Lineup:
Singles-
1. Advait Kirtane
2. Aleksandre Davlianidze
3. M. Suarez
4. James McQueen
5. Lakshamana Satchihananthan
6. Gary Faulcon
Doubles-
1. Advait Kirtane/Aleksandre Davlianidze
2. M. Suarez/Lakshamana Satchihananthan
3. Henry Drakeford/James McQueen
About the Yale Bulldogs (3-2) – Sunday, March 2 at 2:00 p.m. in New Haven Conn.
In the previous five ITA national team rankings, Yale has been ranked (as high as No. 58 in the country); however, this is the first week in which the Bulldogs do not find themselves nationally ranked. With that said, Yale’s only two losses came at the hands of two top programs in No. 44 Virginia Tech and No. 53 East Tennessee State. Sunday’s match will take place at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center and will be the Bulldogs’ fourth consecutive home match. Yale is led by their fabulous freshman Tyler Lu (Irvine, Cali.), who has played at the No. 1 singles spot throughout the season.
Alex Dorato is in the midst of his 22nd season at the helm of the Yale men’s tennis program. Last season his team posted an 18-6 record, finished 4th in the Ivy League, and ended with a national ranking of 56.
Yale’s Probable Starting Lineup
Singles-
1. Tyler Lu
2. Kyle Dawson
3. Daniel Faierman
4. Photos Photiades
5. Jason Brown
6. Zachary Krumholz
Doubles-
1. Tyler Lu/Martin Svenning
2. Patrick Chase/Kyle Dawson
3. Jason Brown/Alex Hagermoser
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