Tulane University
Middle Tennessee
No. 22 Men's Tennis Travels to Middle Tennessee on Friday
Mar 1, 2018 | Men's Tennis
NEW ORLEANS - Coming off an impressive 7-0 home victory over previously No. 21-ranked Texas Tech last Sunday, the 22nd-ranked Tulane men's tennis team will head out on the road to Murfreesboro, Tenn., to take on Middle Tennessee on Friday, March 2. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. (CT) at the Adams Tennis Complex.
LAST TIME OUT
Tulane (5-3) posted perhaps its most complete performance of the young season topping previously 21st-ranked Texas Tech, 7-0, last Sunday, February 25. The Wave clinched the doubles point within 25 minutes from first serve and claimed the first set on all six singles courts. In all six singles matchups, the Red Raiders won just one set.
SCOUTING MIDDLE TENNESSEE
The Blue Raiders (11-2) enter Friday's match as winners of three straight and own a 7-1 record on their home courts this spring. Middle Tennessee is coming off a 4-3 road win at Rice on Wednesday, and also defeated Wisconsin, 4-3, at home last Sunday. The Raiders' lone home defeat came on Feb. 9 in a 4-3 setback against Indiana.
Gian Issa leads Middle Tennessee with an unblemished 13-0 mark this spring, which includes 12 wins at the No. 5 spot in the lineup. Chris Edge and Gonzalo Morrell own 10-3 records, respectively.
IN THE RANKINGS
In the latest Oracle/ITA team rankings, Tulane ranks No. 22 nationally, which is currently the highest of any American Athletic Conference program. The Green Wave's highest ranking this season was No. 20, matching their 2017 high, which is also the highest under head coach Mark Booras' leadership.
The Wave has two players listed in the singles poll and two doubles teams ranked. Senior and 2017 All-America choice Constantin Schmitz holds the Wave's highest singles ranking at No. 24, followed by junior Tyler Schick at No. 95.
Schick and Erlenbusch, who own a 12-5 overall record and 4-2 mark at the No. 2 position in the doubles lineup this spring, rank 50th nationally as the Wave's only ranked tandem.
CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
Ewan Moore was chosen as the American Athletic Conference Men's Tennis Player of the Week on Feb. 27, after posting a 2-0 mark at No. 2 singles and 1-0 at No.1 doubles for the Green Wave, including a straight set victory over the nation's No. 20 player, Giovanni Oradini of 39th-ranked Mississippi State, 6-4, 6-4, on Friday evening. He followed up that performance by outlasting Connor Curry, 7-6(4), 6-4, as part of a 7-0 Tulane rout of 21st-ranked Texas Tech just two days later.
Constantin Schmitz was named The American's first Player of the Week for the 2018 spring season on Jan. 23 after a 6-3, 6-2 singles victory over No. 78 Christian Langmo to clinch the match in the Green Wave's 6-1 season-opening victory over Miami (Fla.). The weekly nod was the sixth of Schmitz's career, as he received the honor five times last season in addition to the being named the league's player of the month in October of 2016.
SCHICK AND STEWART SINGLES STREAKS
Tyler Schick and Hamish Stewart have each won five straight dual singles matches, as Schick is 6-1 with five victories at No. 5 and one win at No. 4 so far this spring. Stewart started 1-2, but now owns a 6-2 ledger, including five wins at the No. 3 spot in the lineup and one triumph at No. 4.
ONE TOUGH SLATE
Tulane increased the intensity of its 2018 spring schedule and will face 10 teams that reached the NCAA Tournament last season. In addition to American Athletic Conference foes USF, Memphis and SMU, the Green Wave will do battle with California, Mississippi State, Oklahoma State, Rice, TCU, Texas, and Stanford.
RAISING THE BAR
The Green Wave won 19 dual matches during the 2017 season, the most for the program in the post-Katrina era. The previous best was 16, set in 2016.
Players Mentioned
