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SEC Quarterfinal Matchup with Tennessee Awaits Men’s Tennis
4/20/2023 | Men's Tennis
7-Seeded Rebels Set to Square Off with 2-Seeded Vols at 12 p.m. CT on Friday
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#7 OLE MISS (#30) (17-8, 6-6 SEC) vs. #2 Tennessee (#9) (20-6, 10-2 SEC) Friday, Apr. 21 • 12 p.m. CT • Auburn, Ala. Yarbrough Tennis Center |
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AUBURN, Ala. – Ole Miss men's tennis is set to take on the No. 2 seed Tennessee Volunteers in the SEC Quarterfinals on Friday following the Rebels' thrilling 4-3 victory over the LSU Tigers on Thursday.
After a dramatic come from behind victory for the Rebels (17-8, 6-6 SEC) in their opening round clash with LSU, Ole Miss now turns its attention to the conference No. 2 seed and nation's No. 9 ranked team in the Tennessee Volunteers (20-6, 10-2 SEC).
Live scoring and live video for both matches will be available to the public. Links to both can be found above as well as on the Ole Miss men's tennis schedule page.
Rebels in the Rankings
Ole Miss wrapped up its regular season ranked as the No. 30 team in the nation in the latest ITA Team Rankings. Senior Nikola Slavic remains the lone Rebel ranked in singles play, slotting into the No. 67 position. Slavic and teammate Lukas Engelhardt also continue to rise in the ITA Doubles Rankings, settling into the No. 40 spot in this week's rankings. It marks a season-high doubles ranking for the duo.
Simon Junk: Captain Clutch
The Rebels were able to pull off a thrilling 4-3 victory Thursday afternoon in their opening round matchup with No. 10 seed LSU, thanks in large part to the clinching singles win from senior Simon Junk on Court 3. Junk, who is all too familiar with serving as the team's clinching point this season, had helped seal the team's 4-3 victory over then-No. 21 Texas A&M in his final career home match at Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center. Now, the Marpingen, Germany, native battled from a set down to defeat No. 123 ranked Chen Dong to help propel the Rebels into the SEC Quarterfinals. "Very proud of how we once again fought until the very end," Junk said. "We had kind of a slow start to the match, but we were able to pick it up and came out on top today. Glad that we get another chance to make it better from the beginning tomorrow!"
The Path to the Championship
The Rebels earned the No. 7 seed in this year's installment of the SEC Tournament in Auburn, Alabama, pitting Ole Miss in a first round matchup with the No. 10 seed LSU Tigers. After the team's win over the Tigers on Thursday, the Rebels advance to play No. 2 seed Tennessee on Friday at 12 p.m. CT. Another win would propel Ole Miss into the SEC Semifinals, where the Rebels would take on the winner of No. 3 seed Kentucky and No. 11 seed Alabama. A win on Saturday would punch the Rebels' ticket into the SEC Championship match, set to take place on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network.
Lukas Engelhardt Named to SEC Community Service Team
Ole Miss men's tennis senior Lukas Engelhardt was one of 13 student-athletes to receive a place on the SEC Community Service Team, the Southeastern Conference announced last Thursday. The SEC Community Service Team serves as an annual effort by the Southeastern Conference to highlight the accomplishments of student-athletes beyond the field of competition. A total of 13 individuals were named to the SEC Community Service Team this season, representing each men's tennis program within the conference. A four-year starter with the Ole Miss men's tennis team, Engelhardt has led the charge for the Rebel squad in getting the team involved with the community. Engelhardt has gotten involved in several programs focused on the betterment of the Oxford community throughout his playing career.
The Oxford Advantage
The Rebels wrapped up what was an unbelievable season at home on Sunday with the team's 4-3 victory over No. 21 Texas A&M, marking the Rebels' 13th home win of the 2022-23 season. Finishing with a record of 13-3 across their 16 matches hosted at the Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center and William F. Galtney Tennis Center, that number of home wins for the Rebels stands as the most home victories for an Ole Miss men's tennis team since the 2006-07 season. The Rebels went on to finish a perfect 14-0 in Oxford that year, just beating out this year's Rebel team.
Court 1 Dream Team
Nikola Slavic and Lukas Engelhardt have been on a tear for the Rebels in the No. 1 doubles position, earning a 9-3 record when playing together in Court 1 doubles this year. With an overall record of 15-7 in 2022-23, the senior duo has yet to drop a ranked doubles matchup this season, going 3-0 to help the Ole Miss tandem slide into the No. 40 position in the latest ITA Doubles Rankings. While the pair will likely split up this weekend, the duo will still continue to pose a threat for the Rebels moving forward in the SEC Tournament on their respective doubles courts.
A Historic Streak for the Rebels
Prior to the Rebels' loss to the Florida Gators earlier in the season, the team saw itself on a historic win streak, having won their previous nine straight dual matches. The streak stands as the longest streak for the Rebel squad since the 2008-09 season, in which Ole Miss strung together an unbelievable 20-match win streak enroute to finishing 10-0 in SEC play, claiming both the SEC regular season and SEC tournament titles. That Rebel team's season would come to a close with a loss in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, ending the year with a 27-3 record overall on the year.
Team Profile: Tennessee
The Tennessee Volunteers (20-6, 10-2 SEC) enter their SEC Quarterfinal matchup with the Rebels ranked as the No. 2 seed in the SEC Tournament, as well as the No. 9 team in the country in the latest installment of the ITA Team Rankings. Earning a bye up until this point, the Volunteers carry an eight-match winning streak into Friday that includes beating the Rebels last week in Ole Miss' penultimate match of the regular season. The Tennessee squad is led by Johannus Monday, who is currently ranked as the No. 2 singles player in the nation. Monday also sits on the No. 5 ranked doubles team in the country alongside teammate Pat Harper. Monday currently holds a record of 17-2 in singles this year, as well as a record of 14-3 when playing alongside Harper in doubles.
Follow the Rebels on Social
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, follow Coach Hansson on Twitter at @TennisToby.
