EKU men’s tennis plays in the quarterfinals of the UTR Sports NIT Championship against second-seeded Pacific
BRADENTON, Fla. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s tennis team (20-9, 5-4 ASUN) will play in the quarterfinals of the UTR Sports NIT Championship against No. 2 Pacific (17-5, 5-3 WCC) on Sunday at 4:30 p.m. on the IMG Academy tennis courts. EKU plays in the NIT for the first time in program history, facing its eighth ranked matchup of the season.
Fans can watch the match on Amazon Prime Video.
THE COLONELS
EKU enters the match with a 20-9 record, falling to Stetson in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship by a score of 4-0 on April 19. The Colonels beat No. 68 Stetson by a score of 5-2 on April 5, marking the first victory against a ranked opponent in program history. The Brown and Whites ended the 2024 slate at home with a score of 16-0, the best in the country. The Maroon and White secured wins against Austin Peay, Bellarmine, Queens, No. 68 Stetson and FGCU in ASUN Conference play. EKU went on a 12-game winning streak from January 31 to March 2, tying the program’s longest winning streak. The Colonels were ranked 74th in the ITA Team Rankings, marking the first time in program history that the team was ranked.
The quilombolas and whites are led by Evzen Holis, who owns a 16-10 record in singles play this season. The Brno, Czech Republic native was selected to the First Team All-ASUN and has been named ASUN Men’s Tennis Player of the Week three times this season.
Moritz Mayer has a 16-11 mark in singles this season. He defeated Georgia’s Miguel Perez Pena in singles play on Jan. 22, who was the nation’s No. 43 singles player, marking the highest-ranked singles win in program history. The Eutingen, Germany product has twice won the ASUN Men’s Tennis Player of the Week award.
Paul-Antoine Brazet It is Fernando Bulnes they also have 15 and 14 singles wins, respectively. Bulnes is on a five-match winning streak in singles. EKU holds a 93-75 record in individual games as a team this season.
Mario Monclus Martin and Mayer form the leading doubles duo, with a 12-7 record at the top two spots in the lineup. Mayer leads the team with 14 doubles wins. The Colonels have secured the doubles point in 16 of their last 24 matches, boasting a 39-26 doubles record this season.
PACIFIC SCOUTING
Pacific enters the contest with a 17-5 mark, losing to Pepperdine 4-0 in the WCC Tournament semifinals. The Tigers are ranked No. 60 in the latest ITA Team Rankings, highlighted by two wins over No. 69 UTSA on March 15 and No. 13 San Diego on April 7. Pacific is led by Peter Alam in singles play, boasting a 12-3 record from the top three spots in the lineup. Tiago Silva leads the Tigers with 11 doubles victories. Sunday’s matchup marks the first-ever series meeting between Pacific and EKU.
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