Jan. 25, 2003

Complete Results

Tennessee concluded Saturday's tennis doubleheader with a 7-0 win over The Citadel at UT's Goodfriend Indoor Tennis Center. The win marked the Vols' second sweep of the day after blanking Tennessee Tech Saturday morning.

"These matches were good experience for our young players," Tennessee head coach Michael Fancutt said. "Hopefully we'll get better and better as we work our way into the upcoming SEC schedule."

Led by junior Simon Rea, the nation's 27th-ranked singles player, the Vols ended a long day in impressive fashion. Tennessee dominated the doubles competition in both of Saturday's dual matches, and lost only one singles set on the day.

Vol freshmen Rawl Martin and Vincent Perna looked strong in their home debut. Martin battled through an exciting, hard-fought second set against The Citadel's Nick Medica. His magnificent backhand passing shot on match point was met with cheers and applause, as it ensured that Tennessee would sweep both halves of the doubleheader.

After the match, Bulldogs' head coach Toby Simpson gave credit to the Tennessee players. The first-year head coach also pointed out the value of testing his squad against an SEC-caliber opponent.

"Tennessee's a good team," Simpson said. "They're going to be solid, especially at the bottom of the lineup. I'm glad they put us on their schedule because it will just make us better. I think they'll do well this year in the SEC."

Tennessee now hold a 6-0 advantage in the all-time series versus The Citadel, dating back to 1968.

Murray State and UT-Martin are Tennessee's next opponents. The Racers and Skyhawks will visit UT's Goodfriend Indoor Tennis Center for a doubleheader Saturday, Feb. 1. Admission to the match is free and fans are encouraged to attend.