Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Raiders Ready for First Fall Event
9/21/2016 12:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MT to play at 2 PM Each Day
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – The fall men's tennis season at Middle Tennessee gets underway this weekend, as the Blue Raiders host the Dale Short Shootout sponsored by Jason's Deli at the Adams Tennis Complex Sept. 23-25.
MT will be joined by Chattanooga, UAB and Austin Peay for the first fall event of the season. The event will be played in a scramble format without team scores. The first match of each day will start at 9:30 a.m., and the Blue Raiders will play each day at 2 p.m.
"We have been working hard on the court, as well as the players' strength and conditioning," MT assistant coach Daniel Leitner said. "The guys came back ready to get after it this fall and they have been responding well when things get challenging."
Head coach Jimmy Borendame named freshmen Nicolas Buitrago Machado, Tom Moonen and Max Rauch to the weekend's lineup, along with Jacob Pugh, Michael Apple and Luis Morillo Diaz. Diaz was 9-7 in dual matches last season, playing mostly at the No. 5 spot. Apple faced four opponents, earning the victory each time. Pugh blanked Alabama A&M's Armando Gray at the No. 5 spot on Feb. 14.
"We are looking forward to see how the guys compete in match situations," added Leitner. "For the returners, we expect them to set the tone with their energy and intensity so that the newcomers can follow their lead. We are hoping to see the guys implement some of the things we have worked on in practice, but most importantly we want to see them compete at a high level."
Chattanooga will be back on the court competing as a team for the first time since their first round loss to Samford in the SoCon Tournament last season. The Mocs return seven from last season's team, including the team's leader in singles wins, Lucas Plesky.
The Blazers will also open their fall season at the Shootout and will face the Blue Raiders on Saturday. UAB had a strong 2016 season, winning twice at Conference USA Shootout and MT Shootout before seeing its season end in the semifinals of the C-USA Championship against eventual conference champion Rice.
Austin Peay will travel back to Murfreesboro for the first time since the Blue Raiders earned a 7-0 victory over the Govs on Senior Day last season. The Govs will look to get the 2016-17 season off on the right foot after having a 7-11 overall record in the spring.
Dale Short played at MT from 1977-80, and was Ohio Valley Player of the Year in 1980. Short is currently sixth in school history in win percentage for his playing career (minimum 60 matches). Short also came back to coach the Blue Raiders, and won the Region III Coach of the Year award in 1997. He was OVC Coach of the Year from 1991-97, and again in 2000.
There is no cost for admission for any match throughout the weekend, and live stats will be available for MT's matches. Also, follow @MT_MensTennis on Twitter for more information.
MT will be joined by Chattanooga, UAB and Austin Peay for the first fall event of the season. The event will be played in a scramble format without team scores. The first match of each day will start at 9:30 a.m., and the Blue Raiders will play each day at 2 p.m.
"We have been working hard on the court, as well as the players' strength and conditioning," MT assistant coach Daniel Leitner said. "The guys came back ready to get after it this fall and they have been responding well when things get challenging."
Head coach Jimmy Borendame named freshmen Nicolas Buitrago Machado, Tom Moonen and Max Rauch to the weekend's lineup, along with Jacob Pugh, Michael Apple and Luis Morillo Diaz. Diaz was 9-7 in dual matches last season, playing mostly at the No. 5 spot. Apple faced four opponents, earning the victory each time. Pugh blanked Alabama A&M's Armando Gray at the No. 5 spot on Feb. 14.
"We are looking forward to see how the guys compete in match situations," added Leitner. "For the returners, we expect them to set the tone with their energy and intensity so that the newcomers can follow their lead. We are hoping to see the guys implement some of the things we have worked on in practice, but most importantly we want to see them compete at a high level."
Chattanooga will be back on the court competing as a team for the first time since their first round loss to Samford in the SoCon Tournament last season. The Mocs return seven from last season's team, including the team's leader in singles wins, Lucas Plesky.
The Blazers will also open their fall season at the Shootout and will face the Blue Raiders on Saturday. UAB had a strong 2016 season, winning twice at Conference USA Shootout and MT Shootout before seeing its season end in the semifinals of the C-USA Championship against eventual conference champion Rice.
Austin Peay will travel back to Murfreesboro for the first time since the Blue Raiders earned a 7-0 victory over the Govs on Senior Day last season. The Govs will look to get the 2016-17 season off on the right foot after having a 7-11 overall record in the spring.
Dale Short played at MT from 1977-80, and was Ohio Valley Player of the Year in 1980. Short is currently sixth in school history in win percentage for his playing career (minimum 60 matches). Short also came back to coach the Blue Raiders, and won the Region III Coach of the Year award in 1997. He was OVC Coach of the Year from 1991-97, and again in 2000.
There is no cost for admission for any match throughout the weekend, and live stats will be available for MT's matches. Also, follow @MT_MensTennis on Twitter for more information.
Players Mentioned
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