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The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 13 Rebels Set for Rematch with Vanderbilt
4/16/2015 | Men's Tennis
BLOG: Rebels Continue Push to Host in NCAA's
OXFORD, Miss. -- The No. 13 Ole Miss men's tennis team is in College Station, Texas this weekend for the 2015 SEC Men's Tennis Championship at Texas A&M University. The tournament is being held at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
This is the 17th time for the Rebels to enter the SEC Tournament with a bye, as the earned the No. 4 seed. The Rebels will face the No. 5 seed, Vanderbilt Friday at 11 a.m. in the quarterfinals.
The Rebels concluded the regular season with a 16-7 overall record, 8-4 in the SEC. Head coach Toby Hansson talked about the importance of finishing in the top four and getting a bye to the quarterfinals.
"It's big to get a bye, to be able to spend another day in Oxford," Hansson said. "The guys have been missing a lot of school, and they really worked hard to get this. They deserve it. We're excited to be in Texas to compete for an SEC Championship."
Scouting Vanderbilt ...
No. 22 Vanderbilt defeated Auburn 4-2 in the second round of the SEC Championship. The team boasts a 19-6 record. With an 8-4 SEC record, the Commodores posted the best conference record of any VU team under Head Coach Ian Duvenhage. The Commodores are led by the No. 2 ranked doubles team of Rhys Johnson and Gonzales Austin, while Austin is ranked No. 8 in singles.
Last Meeting ...
The Rebels shut out Vanderbilt 4-0 on March 1st in the SEC opener for both teams. That win marked the Rebel's 10th in the last 11 meetings with the Commodores. The first meeting this year was played indoors due to rain. The Rebels won an exciting doubles point and the top three singles matches, including the clincher from Nik Scholtz.
Matchups ...
The lineups for this match look a lot different in doubles and a little different in singles as well. All three of Ole Miss' doubles teams have changed since that meeting. In singles, the top two remain the same, while the Nos. 3 and 4 matches will be the same opponents but switched in order. Five and six will be different matchups.
Projected Ole Miss Lineup (Subject to Change) ...
Doubles
1. Scholtz/Babic
2. Lindmark/Hansson
3. Kallberg/Hamilton
Singles
1. Nik Scholtz
2. Stefan Lindmark
3. Gustav Hansson
4. William Kallberg
5. Zvonimir Babic
6. Ricardo Jorge
Fins Up ...
Reigning SEC Player of the Year Nik Scholtz finished the season 13-4 overall and 6-3 in the SEC. This will mark his final time to compete for an SEC title. The three-time All-American, who finished his home career winning 21 of his last 22 matches, talked about the opportunity for the Rebels to make a statement.
Mr. Undefeated in SEC ...
Junior Stefan Lindmark finished his impressive regular season undefeated in SEC play (8-0), becoming the fifth player in school history and the first since 2009 to go undefeated in league play.
"The most important thing right now is that we refocus for the SEC Tournament and earn a top 16 seed to host," Lindmark said. "We are going to work hard this week in practice to have a good showing in Texas. I am focused on winning my matches to help the team."
Tournament Coverage ...
Fans can follow the match through live scoring and on Twitter at @OleMissMTennis for updates throughout the match. For results as well an updated schedule and bracket, click on the SEC Tournament Central page.
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
