The University of Mississippi Athletics
MATCH CENTRAL: No. 19 Rebels to Host Troy
2/8/2015 | Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. -- Moving up a notch to No. 19, the Ole Miss men's tennis team (3-0) welcomes Troy on Monday in the team's home opener. The match begins at 3 p.m., at the Gillom Sports Center.
"We are excited about hosting Troy," head coach Toby Hansson said. "We know that they have a strong team this year. They pushed Florida in a 5-2 loss. We are expecting a very competitive match, and I know the guys are excited to play at home. It's also great preparation for the upcoming National Team Indoor Championships in Chicago. We would like to encourage all our fans to come out and support the team. It's a very exciting group of guys with some new faces and some familiar ones as well."
Scouting Troy ...
The Trojans come into Monday's match at 5-3 overall. They defeated Southern Miss 7-0 on Saturday. Troy is led by junior Gabriel Dais, who owns a 3-1 record at No. 1 singles. Hassan Ndayishimye holds a 6-1 record, including 4-1 at No. 2 singles.
Who's Hot? ...
It's been a couple of weeks since the Rebels last played, but there are been plenty of good things happening. Following the ITA Kick-Off, senior Nik Scholtz was named the SEC Player of the Week, while Gustav Hansson was named the SEC Freshman of the Week. Both were instrumental in leading the Rebels to the championship. Read more about Hansson, who came to Ole Miss without even visiting first. Sophomore Ricardo Jorge won both his matches at the ITA Kick-Off as well, improving to 15-4 overall and 3-0 in dual matches. He has won seven in a row.
Recapping ITA Kickoff Weekend...
In the first round of the ITA Kickoff, the Rebels rallied from a 3-0 deficit to knock off No. 13 Florida 4-3. Freshman Gustav Hansson won a third-set tiebreaker at No. 3 singles to clinch the win. He finished 2-0 in singles on the weekend, as he also won his match in convincing fashion in the second round, to start the Rebels' rally against South Carolina on their way to a 4-2 win. Senior Nik Scholtz delivered in his return to the Rebels, going 3-1 in singles and doubles, including rallying to clinch the win against South Carolina. In singles he beat two ranked players and then he teamed with freshman Zvonimir Babic for a ranked win at No. 2 doubles against Florida. Sophomore Ricardo Jorge stepped up big as well, winning both his matches at No. 6 singles. Against Florida, he won a huge second set tiebreaker and went on to claim the third set to set up Gustav Hansson's match-clinching victory.
Windy City Here We Come ...
Following the home opener, the Rebels will head to Chicago for the ITA National Team Indoor Feb. 13-16 at the Midtown Athletic Tennis Club. Stay tuned for updates on the draw and the Rebels' first round opponent. This will mark the team's 19th appearance in the prestigious tournament. In 2013, the Rebels went 2-1 in the annual event.
The Season ...
Preview the season and find out more about the coaches and team in this video Episode 1, The Season.
For more information on Ole Miss Men's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMTennis, on Facebook at OleMissMTennis and on Instagram at OleMissMTennis.
