The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 14 Rebels to Host Tennessee
3/31/2015 | Men's Tennis
OXFORD, Miss. -- There's no place like home, and that's been the case for the No. 14 ranked Ole Miss men's tennis team this season. With an 8-1 home record, the Rebels close out the regular season home schedule this weekend with a pair of matches against Tennessee and Kentucky.
The Rebels will meet the Volunteers at 5 p.m., Thursday at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center, weather permitting. At the match, fans will receive a poster of senior William Kallberg and an Ole Miss car flag.
With two weeks left in the regular season, the Rebels are currently tied for fourth in the SEC with LSU and Florida, but own the tiebreaker as a result of wins against both teams.
"We are excited to be home again and play in front of our great fans," head coach Toby Hansson said. "Tennessee is another team that we have developed a rivalry with, and we've had some good matches with them the last couple of years. The fans have made this one of the toughest places to play, and we need that home court advantage again Thursday to help us take down the Vols."
Last Time Out ...
After an impressive come-from-behind win at LSU, the Rebels dropped a tough one to No. 8 Texas A&M and stand at 13-6 overall and 5-3 in the SEC. Senior Nik Scholtz saved six match points to deliver the 4-3 win at No. 24 LSU, after the Rebels had dropped the doubles point and singles matches at four and five. Vinod Gowda won at six and then Stefan Lindmark and Gustav Hansson both won at two and three to set up Scholtz.
Scouting Tennessee ...
Tennessee dropped a close one to Mississippi State on Sunday. With the loss, the Volunteers are 11-9 on the season and 3-5 in SEC play. The team is lead by the reigning NCAA Doubles Champions and current No. 2 doubles team in the nation, Mikelis Libietis and Hunter Reese.
Series ...
The Rebels have won five straight against Tennessee and are looking to keep that streak alive. The two teams faced off twice last year, with the Rebels winning 4-1 in Knoxville and then taking out the Vols 4-2 in the second round of the SEC Tournament.
No. 1 Match to Feature two of College Tennis' Best ...
While each match is only one point in the overall team score, the No. 1 match on Thursday will feature two of the nation's best players the last four years. Nik Scholtz is the reigning SEC Player of the Year and ranked No. 15 in the nation, while Tennessee's Mikelis Libietis is the defending NCAA Doubles Champion and ranked No. 14 nationally in singles and No. 2 in doubles. Libietis has only lost once this year at No. 1 singles.
Mr. Clutch ...
Nik Scholtz might get a lot of attention because he is the reigning SEC Player of the Year, but junior Stefan Lindmark is a big reason the Rebels are ranked No. 14 in the nation and in a position to host an NCAA Regional. The Stockholm, Sweden native is 10-3 at No. 2 singles and 6-0 in the SEC. He is one of only three players in the SEC who have played all their matches in the top half of the lineup to still be undefeated.
National Rankings ...
In the latest ITA National Rankings, the Rebels dropped one spot to No. 14. In the singles rankings, Nik Scholtz is ranked No. 15 and Stefan Lindmark is ranked No. 84. In the doubles rankings, senior William Kallberg and freshman Gustav Hansson are ranked No. 45.
Match Scoring Format ...
There are several changes to the format of matches this year. All matches will feature no-ad scoring. Also, there will be no warm-up with the opponent prior to each doubles and singles match.
· Doubles - Each doubles will be first to 6, by two. A regular tiebreaker (first to 7, by two) will be played if a set reaches 6-all.
· Intermission - There will be a five minute break between doubles and singles.
· Singles - Each singles match will be best 2-of-3 sets (first to 6, by two). A regular tiebreaker (first to 7, by two) will be played if a set reaches 6-all.
Live Coverage ...
If you can make it to the match, follow along with and the live blog. Also follow the Rebels on Twitter at@OleMissMTennis for updates throughout the match.
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.
Players Mentioned
