Jan. 25, 2007
COLUMBIA, S.C. –
The South Carolina men’s tennis team kicks off its 2007 spring schedule on Sunday, Jan. 28, with a doubleheader at the USC Indoor Fieldhouse in Columbia. The Gamecocks will host the Wofford Terriers at 10. a.m. and follow with a 2 p.m. match against the Troy Trojans. Entry to all home matches is free. Live updates for both matches will be available online at USCsports.com.
About the Gamecocks
South Carolina’s 2007 campaign looks to be a promising one as the 38th-ranked Gamecocks will try to improve on a 14-15 record which included seven victories over ranked opponents. Head Coach Kent DeMars, now in his 23rd year, welcomes back four out of his top five players including senior Pedro Rodrigues. Rodrigues should vie for the top spot in the singles lineup, but is currently recovering from an injury that will prevent him from playing in the Gamecocks’ earlier matches. Junior Jaime Cuellar, who earned All-SEC honors in 2006, also looks to be an impact player at the No. 2 singles spot after winning 17 matches last season. Carolina is experienced throughout the lineup.
Scouting Wofford
Wofford is 1-0 after beating Stetson Jan. 20. After only losing one senior from 2006, the team is expected to be competitive from top to bottom. The Terriers’ experienced group, which went 10-11 last season, is led by two-time All-Southern Conference honoree Andrew Stubbs at the No. 1 singles spot. The junior recently won the Intercollegiate Tennis Association’s (ITA) Southeast College Circuit Crown. Senior and co-MVP Alex Fridzon, who is fresh off a 17-win season and 9-1 SoCon record, and junior Richard Cahi are also expected to challenge for top spots. Wofford fell to Carolina in last season’s meeting, 7-0.
Scouting Troy
Troy finished the 2006 season with a 7-11 overall record after their first year in the Sun Belt Conference . Prior to Sunday’s match Troy will play at No. 35 ranked Alabama on Saturday. Senior Irving Morales is No. 72 and looks to lead the team, continuing this season at the No. 1 spot. Morales went 10-8 overall last season, and finished the 2006 regular season with six straight victories. The Trojans lost in last season’s meeting against Carolina, 7-0.
Series History
Carolina has played extremely well against both opponents and is currently undefeated all-time against each school. The Gamecocks shut out Troy in 2005 and 2006, the only two meetings between the schools, and have only surrendered one point to Wofford in four meetings.
Coming up
The Gamecocks will continue the 2007 season Sunday, Feb. 4, when they host Appalachian State (10 a.m.) and Charleston Southern (2 p.m.) at the USC Indoor Facility. The Gamecocks are also preparing for two top 25 teams in the coming month. Carolina hosts the 24th-ranked Demon Deacons of Wake Forest Feb. 14 and then travels across the border to the Tar Heel state to take on 22nd-ranked North Carolina.
