TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Dominance from start to finish resulted in the first win of the
Trey Morris era for Jacksonville State's men's tennis program. The Gamecocks cruised to a 6-1 win over Mercer at Florida State University, serving as a big bounce-back following Saturday's loss to the Seminoles.
"That was a great response from the guys today," head coach
Trey Morris said. "Yesterday, we talked about how we needed to improve on a few things and execute better. Yesterday was not our best day, and today still wasn't our best day. What I am proud of is the way we competed, controlled the controllables, and took care of the little things."
Jax State (1-1) rolled to the match's opening point following a pair of strong showings in doubles play. The veteran tandem of
Vanja Dobrnjac and
Lucius Soller scored a 6-1 win in the No. 2 doubles flight. Their efforts, paired with a 6-4 triumph on court three by
Liam Day and
Alin Fatu, led to a decisive doubles point in Tallahassee.
Aside from a mishap in the top singles showdown, Jacksonville State easily handled Mercer (0-2) in one-on-one competition.
Marko Milosavljevic (6-2, 6-0) and
Matei Palcau (6-1, 6-2) posted two-set wins in the fourth and fifth courts before
Xavier Sarda Marti clinched the win with a 6-4, 6-4, result in the No. 3 singles match.
Alin Fatu added a 6-2, 6-3, victory in No. 2 singles and
Liam Day capped it off with a three-set triumph (4-6, 6-2, 6-4) in the final court.
"Mercer is always a tough team," Morris said. "Their coaching staff always does a great job with their program. They're always ready to come in and fight, so we came in ready and took that fight to them from the first point."
The Gamecocks return to action on Sun., Jan. 21, as they travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to take on Alabama. The team will also make road trips to Nicholls (Feb. 1), Baylor (Feb. 3), and Kennesaw State (Feb. 11) before coming home on Feb. 17 to play host to Troy in the 2024 home opener.
To stay up-to-date with the Gamecocks, follow their Facebook (Jacksonville State Men's Tennis), Instagram (@JaxStateMTEN), and X (@JaxStateMTEN) accounts.
