JACKSONVILLE – After getting back on track with a win against Mercer on Wednesday, Jacksonville State men's tennis is set to hit the road for an important Yellowhammer State showdown on Sunday. The Gamecocks travel to Huntsville on Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. first serve against Alabama A&M.
"We're excited for another chance to compete on the road against Alabama A&M," associate head coach
Trey Morris said. "I got the chance to see them compete a bit in the fall, so we know what these guys will bring to the table and our guys will be ready."
Jax State (6-5) got back above .500 on the year with a slim 4-3 triumph over Mercer earlier this week. The Bears raced out to an early advantage but clutch three-set wins by Vanja Dorbnjac and
Xavier Sarda Marti, who clinched the match on court one, led the Gamecocks to a massive home victory. Now, Morris' young squad will face the in-state Bulldogs (0-3) at the Alabama A&M Tennis Courts.
AAMU, who went just 4-14 last Spring, is still early in their 2023 campaign due to Mother Nature. They fell 6-1 at Mercer in their season opener on Jan. 28 and were swept by Middle Tennessee State a week later. Their last outing was on Feb. 12 in a 6-1 loss against Samford. Their late-February home matchups against Austin Peay and Lipscomb were canceled due to inclement weather. The Bulldogs will play at Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon in their first action in nearly three weeks before playing host to the Gamecocks on Sunday.
Jacksonville State's men are 4-0 against Alabama A&M in the past decade, posting sweep wins in 2013, 2017, 2020, and 2022. In their last meeting on Feb. 25, 2022, current Gamecocks Dobrnjac and
Vicente Arbelaez tallied two-set triumphs in a 7-0 win.
Sunday's action in the Rocket City will begin around 2 p.m. The Jax State women will also be in action, with their affair against the Bulldogs starting at 11 a.m. Links to follow along with live stats for each of those contests will be provided at JSUGamecockSports.com.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Twitter (@JaxStateTN), Instagram (@JaxStateWTennis), and Facebook (Jacksonville State University Tennis) accounts.
