Jan. 16, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. – The 52nd-ranked South Carolina men’s tennis team will open its 2009 dual match season against Wofford and Troy in a non-conference doubleheader at the USC Indoor Fieldhouse on Saturday. Carolina will take on the Wofford at 10 a.m., while the Gamecocks will square off against the Trojans at 2 p.m. South Carolina head coach Kent DeMars enters his 25th season with the Gamecocks, where he has an overall record of 366-267.

Junior Diego Cubas and freshman Ivan Machado led the Gamecocks in the fall and will look to continue their success in the dual-match portion of the season. Cubas is currently ranked in 42nd in the nation after posting an 11-1 record in the fall campaign. Machado is ranked No. 106 this spring after a solid fall season.

Wofford comes into the match with one of the youngest squads in the nation with one senior, five sophomores and four freshmen. Head coach Ray Rod hopes to have another successful season after leading the Terriers to the semifinals of the Southern Conference Tournament in 2007-08.

Troy fields a relatively young team as well, having only one senior. The Trojans are led by junior Bastian Maucher and sophomore Benjamin Chomette. Head coach Eric Hayes enters his third season with of the Trojans.