MURFREESBORO, TN. – The Jacksonville State men's tennis team is set to take on Liberty in the opening round of the 2024 Conference USA tournament.
 
The Gamecocks (15-9) received the three-seed in the tournament, leaving them paired against Liberty (16-7) in Murfreesboro, TN., on Saturday, April 19. Jax State is coming off of two straight losses to Gardner-Webb and UAB to close out the regular season, but they are looking to regroup in the postseason.
 
The Flames went 1-1 in their last two matches of the season. Liberty downed Elon 4-3 on April 7, but lost to UNC-Wilmington 3-4 on April 13. The Gamecocks' loss to Gardner-Webb also came on April 7 in a tight 3-4 match. UAB defeated Jax State 3-4 on April 12.
 
Liam Day is leading the Gamecocks on the year in singles action with a 13-4 record. Day is followed closely by Xavier Sarda Marti who posts a 12-4 record and Vanja Dobrnjac who has a 12-9 record, respectively. Matei Palcau has an 11-8 record in singles, while Marko Milosavljevic is 10-12 in singles. Ivan Marrero Curbelo was ranked No. 87 in the latest ITA rankings and has a 6-2 record in singles for the Gamecocks.
 
In doubles play, Dobrnjac leads Jax State with a 12-9 record on the year. Lucius Soller has a 10-9 record, Sarda Marti is 9-4, and Milosavljevic is 8-9 in doubles as well. The Gamecocks will need contributions from these standout performers, along with the rest of the team, to down a solid Liberty squad on Saturday.
 
"I just think it takes our boys being focused, prepared, and ready to give everything on match day," Jax State head coach Trey Morris said. "If we outwork those guys and trust our quality, then our quality will shine through. It comes down to how well we focus on one moment at a time and how well we're prepared."
 
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