Skip to main content
Partner logo
Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Gamecocks+
Men’s Tennis Hosts Pair of SEC Matches This Weekend
Men's Tennis  . 

Men’s Tennis Hosts Pair of SEC Matches This Weekend

Columbia, S.C. – No. 19 South Carolina men’s tennis will conclude the home portion of the SEC schedule this weekend, hosting No. 4 Kentucky and No. 48 Vanderbilt at the Carolina Tennis Center.

Friday’s match against the Wildcats will begin at 5:00 p.m. with Sunday’s match against the Commodores at noon.

Live streaming for both matches will be available here with live stats against Kentucky here and Vanderbilt here. Both matches will also be broadcast on ESPN+ as part of the SEC CrossCourt cast.

Friday’s match will be Military Appreciation Night at the Carolina Tennis Center with the first 35 active-duty military members receiving a free hat. Sunday’s match will be South Carolina’s senior day with seniors Toby Samuel, Carter Morgan, and James Story being recognized 15 minutes before the match begins.

Gates will open one hour prior to first serve and fan parking will be available in the dirt lot behind the women’s side courts. Fans will need to take the stairs through the parking garage in order to reach the upper-level spectator area.

As a reminder to fans, pets are not permitted at the Carolina Tennis Center.

Gamecock Notables

  • South Carolina is currently ranked No. 19 in the ITA team rankings. The team is 11-10 overall and 4-5 in SEC play. The Gamecocks are 6-5 on their home courts this season.
  • In the ITA singles rankings, Samuel comes in at a season-high No. 19 with Casey Hoole at No. 94.
  • Samuel is 12-4 overall this season, all from the top of the lineup. He is a perfect 8-0 in SEC play and enters the weekend on a nine-match singles win streak.
  • Hoole is 19-19 overall and 7-10 in dual matches. He did not play in last weekend’s matches due to injury.
  • Story is 7-7 overall this season and 4-4 in SEC matches. He is 3-1 since moving up to the No. 2 spot in the lineup.
  • Freshman Sean Daryabeigi is 21-12 overall this season and 10-6 in dual matches. He has recently made a jump in the lineup and has a winning record at the Nos. 3, 4, and 5 positions.
  • Sophomore Lucas Andrade da Silva also has an impressive record this season of 21-13. He is 10-7 in dual matches and 4-3 in SEC play.
  • In the doubles rankings, Samuel and Hoole pair up at No. 14. The duo is 9-4 overall and 3-3 in conference play.
  • Da Silva and Story have been South Carolina’s No. 2 pair this season and are 9-7 on the year. They are 4-4 in SEC matches.

Scouting Kentucky

  • Kentucky is 18-2 overall this season and a perfect 9-0 in SEC play. They are 6-1 when playing on the road and enter the weekend on an 11-match win streak.
  • There are two Wildcats in the ITA Singles Rankings – No. 35 Taha Baadi and No. 100 Joshua Lapadat.
  • Baadi is 11-6 this season and 5-4 in conference play. He is 9-5 from the No. 1 position and 2-1 from No. 2.
  • Lapadat is 6-8 this season and 4-4 against SEC opponents.
  • Much of Kentucky’s strength comes from the bottom half of the lineup where the team is a collective 16-2 at the No. 4 position, 18-1 at the No. 5 position, and 14-3 at the No. 6 position.
  • In the ITA doubles rankings, Lapadat and JJ Mercer are the No. 9 pair. The duo is 10-4 overall this season and 6-2 in SEC matches.

Scouting Vanderbilt

  • Vanderbilt is 11-9 this season and 2-6 in SEC matches. They are 1-4 when playing on the road and will face Florida on Friday before facing South Carolina on Sunday.
  • Danil Panarin is the lone Commodore in the ITA rankings, coming in at No. 72. He is 11-8 in dual matches and 2-6 in SEC play.

Series History versus Kentucky

  • Kentucky leads the all-time series 28-17. The two teams first met in 1974 with Kentucky winning 6-3. South Carolina went on to win the next four meetings.
  • The Gamecocks have won seven of the last 11 meetings including claiming their first win in Lexington last season.
  • South Carolina has won each of the last three matchups with a neutral site victory, a home win, and a road win.
  • Under head coach Josh Goffi, South Carolina is 7-6 against Kentucky.

Series History versus Vanderbilt

  • South Carolina leads the all-time series versus Vanderbilt 21-13 and has won each of the last four meetings. The two teams first faced in 1984 with South Carolina sweeping the match 5-0.
  • The Gamecocks have won eight of the last ten meetings.
  • Vanderbilt’s last win in Columbia was in 2015.
  • Under Goffi, South Carolina 8-4 against Vanderbilt.

For all the latest South Carolina men’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockMTennis).

Related stories