UNCG returns to action at Old Dominion on Friday
UNCG (3-0) at Old Dominion (7-1), Feb. 11, 7 p.m., Norfolk, Va.
Storylines
• UNCG's men's tennis team will try for the first 4-0 start in the Thomas Mozur era when the Spartans take on Old Dominion on Friday at the Folkes-Stevens Indoor Tennis Facility.
• The Spartans picked up a pair of wins last weekend, downing UNCG Asheville 4-3 on Saturday and No. 61 USC Upstate 6-1 on Sunday, both on the road.
• Against USC Upstate, the Spartans dropped the doubles point but swept all six singles matches to come roaring back for the win.
• Three freshmen are off to outstanding starts for UNCG in singles play. Redshirt freshman Zach Reece is 2-0 on the young season, with both wins coming at No. 6. True freshmen Canon Varapongsittikul and Ahmet Sarioglu are both 3-0. Varapongsittikul opened the season with a win at No. 5 before picking up wins at No. 4 against UNCA and USC Upstate. Sarioglu opened the season at No. 6 and moved up to No. 5 in each of the Spartans' last two matches.
• Reece and another freshman, Jimmy Roueche, went 3-0 as a doubles team in the fall tournament portion of the schedule.
• Overall this season, UNCG has four student-athletes with 10 wins already. Reece, Varapongsittikul and Sarioglu are all 10-4, while Orcun Seyrek, UNCG's No. 1 singles player, is 10-3. Seyrek, who is ranked No. 11 in the Carolina Regional rankings, is 2-1 on the dual season so far.
• Old Dominion is off to a hot start of the season, having won six straight after a loss to No. 13 Louisville on Jan. 16. ODU went 3-0 last weekend with wins over George Washington, Winthrop and James Madison on consecutive days.
• The Monarchs' first five matches of the season were all decided by 7-0 scores. ODU beat Morgan State by the score to open the season before Louisville returned the favor. Old Dominion then beat Norfolk State, Villanova and Howard 7-0 before topping George Washington 4-3 on Feb. 4. A 5-2 win over Winthrop followed the next day, and the Monarchs opened Colonial Athletic Association play with a 6-1 win over James Madison on Sunday.
• ODU will face East Carolina on Friday at 1 p.m. before taking on the Spartans in the nightcap. The Monarchs have had two days with two home matches already.
• Three ODU players bring dual records of 7-1 into play Friday – senior Tobias Fanselow at No. 1, junior Krzysztof Muzalewski at No. 3 and sophomore Albert Ochagavia at No. 4. Fanselow and Muzalewski are 6-2 at No. doubles, while Ochagavia and Alfredo Rodriguez are 6-2 at No. 3.
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