Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Middle Tennessee
Tennessee
Blue Raiders Host Trio of In-State Foes in Kickoff to 2025 Season
1/15/2025 5:00:00 PM | Men's Tennis
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Following a successful fall campaign, the Middle Tennessee men's tennis team begins its defense of five consecutive Conference USA titles with the kickoff to the 2025 season, hosting a trio of in-state opponents on opening weekend.
Middle Tennessee will begin the season with a matchup against the 13th-ranked Tennessee Volunteers at the Adams Tennis Complex, a team that the Blue Raiders faced twice during the 2024 fall season. Opening week will conclude with a pair of matchups on Saturday at the ATC, first against the Lipscomb Bisons at 1 p.m., followed by a meeting with the UT Southern Firehawks at 5 p.m.
History vs. Tennessee, Lipscomb and UT Southern
In terms of spring action, Middle Tennessee will face the Volunteers for the third time in program history. In two previous meetings, the Blue Raiders fell by scores of 6-1 and 7-0. However, Thursday's matchup will mark the first time the two programs have faced off in Murfreesboro.
MTSU is currently a combined 5-0 against Lipscomb and UT Southern all-time, including four over the Bisons.
About Middle Tennessee
The Blue Raiders featured in seven tournaments during the 2024 fall season, including three ITA events, as well as a NCAA Individual Championships appearance from Karim Al-Amin and Ondrej Horak. Al-Amin and Horak secured a spot in the NCAA Championships in Waco, Texas by claiming a doubles title at the ITA Ohio Valley Regionals, which featured as the pair's first-ever tournament together. In the championship match, Al-Amin and Horak defeated Tennessee's Alex Kotzen and Alejandro Moreno 6-3, 2-6, 10-8.
MTSU also hosted two tournaments at the Outdoor Tennis Center during the fall season in the Blue Raider Invite and the Buck Bouldin Classic. In the former, the Blue Raiders faced Indiana, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Lipscomb, while facing Virginia Tech, ETSU and Tennessee Tech in the latter.
Middle Tennesse welcomes two newcomers to the 2025 spring roster in Rostislav Halfinger, who competed with the Blue Raiders during the fall season, and Kacper Szymkowiak, a Polish-International who joins MTSU as a true freshman. Al-Amin, Horak, Jakub Kroslak, Igor Mandou Berranger, Shu Matsuoka and Kristian Thomas feature as the team's returners.
Match Details
First serve for MTSU vs. Tennessee will be at 5 p.m. at the Adams Tennis Complex on Thursday, followed by the double header on Saturday, beginning with Lipscomb at 1 p.m. and concluding with UT Southern at 5 p.m., both at the Adams Tennis Complex.
Follow the Blue Raiders
Follow Middle Tennessee Men's Tennis on social media on Facebook (BlueRaiderMensTennis), X (MT_MensTennis) and Instagram (mt_menstennis).
Players Mentioned
