Tech takes over first place with 6-1 win at Jacksonville State
OXFORD, Ala. – With first place on the line, the Tennessee Tech tennis team soared to the tune of a 6-1 win Thursday at Jacksonville State in a battle of two of the OVC’s unbeatens.
By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
OXFORD, Ala. – With first place on the line, the Tennessee Tech tennis team soared to the tune of a 6-1 win Thursday at Jacksonville State in a battle of two of the OVC's unbeatens. Tech's triumph keeps the Golden Eagles perfect in OVC action at 4-0, running the club's conference regular season win streak to 27 in a row.
TTU (7-10, 4-0 OVC) has now won five straight overall.
After clinching the doubles point with wins in the two of the three matchups, Tech displayed grittiness over the Gamecocks (13-3, 3-1) in singles play that featured victories in all four singles battles that went three sets, highlighted by a pair of affairs that needed tiebreakers in the final set.
Wenceslao Albin secured a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 nod over Pablo Caffarena in the No. 2 spot, while Marc Mila seized a 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 win against Joaquin Vallejo in the No. 3 position. Jorge Alfonzo and Riku Kubota followed suit in matchups that also went the distance, with Alfonzo carding a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 victory over Guillermo Agost in the No. 4 slot and Kubota edging Andres Gomez, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the No. 6 tilt.
Kubota's triumph continues a hot-streak for the 5-foot-8 freshman that has now seen him claim five-straight singles wins.
No. 62 Eduardo Mena kept to his winning ways as well, gliding past Aljaz Kaplja, 7-6, 6-4, in the No. 1 matchup for his eight-consecutive singles nod.
Gonzalo Garcia was the only Golden Eagle to fall during singles play with a 6-2, 6-1 loss to Paolo Cucalon in the No. 5 spot.
Tech's pair of wins during doubles action came out of the top two slots, as the TTU tandem of Marc Mila and Arthur Justo claimed a 6-3 victory over Guillermo Agost and Andres Gomez in the No. 1 tilt, while Riku Kubota and Wenceslao Albin collected a 7-5 edge against Pablo Caffarena and Sergio Lizarraga in the No. 2 position.
Aljaz Kaplja and Paolo Cucalon took down Eduardo Mena and Gonzalo Garcia, 6-2, in the No. 3 slot for JSU's lone win during doubles play.
With Sunday's match against Campbell now cancelled, Tech will set its sights to the final week of the regular season. The Golden Eagles will flock to Nashville, first meeting Tennessee State on Friday, Apr. 13, before securing a lid on the regular year with a Saturday, Apr. 14 match at Belmont. Friday's tilt with the Tigers is slated for noon CT, while Saturday's battle with the Burins is scheduled for 10 a.m.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information
