February 5, 2016

Tennis boasts three players in preseason top 10 rankings; Golden Eagles selected as preseason No. 1

Headlined by a trio of players ranked inside the preseason top eight, the Tennessee Tech tennis team came up golden in the Ohio Valley Conference’s predicted order of finish and player rankings as voted on by the league’s 10 head coaches.

By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information Coordinator

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Headlined by a trio of players ranked inside the preseason top eight, the Tennessee Tech tennis team came up golden in the Ohio Valley Conference's predicted order of finish and player rankings as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches.

Sophomore Eduardo Mena punctuated the player ranking's list with a preseason No. 1 nod, while senior Alex Arovin (tied for No. 3) and junior Alberto Esteban (No. 8) rounded out the Tech trifecta as the only school in the conference with three players ranked inside the top 10, let alone the top eight. Furthermore, behind a conference-leading five first-place votes, the Golden Eagles knotted Eastern Kentucky for the preseason No. 1 spot in the conference.

"I couldn't be more proud of those three players," TTU head coach Kenny Doyle claimed. "Edu, Alex, and Alberto are all deserving of this kind of recognition, and I know that the three of them, along with the rest of the team are looking forward to this season and eventually the start of conference play. There is nothing more special for a coach than to see a group of young men work hard and then celebrate in the end as champions, like we were able to accomplish last season."

Tech boasts the preseason No. 1 honor after winning the OVC regular season title last spring with an impressive 8-1 conference mark to claim the squad's third regular season championship in the past four years. Eastern Kentucky's preseason No. 1 recognition comes on the heels of the conference tournament championship last spring that saw the Colonels take out Jacksonville State in the semifinals, before a 4-2 win over Austin Peay in the championship.

TTU's 2015 success was largely based on the contributions of Mena, Arovin, and Esteban, all of whom received conference hardware. Arovin was named both the OVC Player of the Year and a conference first teamer, while Mena and Esteban were both named to the conference second team. Mena also took home the OVC Freshman of the Year accolade.

Mena soared to a 15-5 overall singles record last year that included a 10-match win-streak in the Bultrago del Lozoya, Spain native's rookie campaign. The 6-foot sophomore carried that success into the fall, topping Tech with a 13-4 singles record highlighted by a trip to the USTA/ITA Regional Championship Final in Knoxville in late October, the furthest any Tennessee Tech player has ever reached in the event.

"Edu had a great fall season and deserves this honor," Doyle said. "Ultimately it is only a preseason ranking though and he's going to have to try and carry the fall's success into the spring."

Arovin wrapped up last season with a 6-2 OVC record in the No. 1 singles spot, and in doubles play, the Donetsk, Ukraine native teamed up with Esteban to roll off a perfect 7-0 conference mark in the No. 1 doubles spot. The dynamic tandem started this year off on the right foot with a doubles win in the No. 1 spot over Lipscomb's Alejando Manzanares and Philippe Courteau in Tech's season-opener on Jan. 30.

Arovin also captured a singles win in the No. 2 spot, while Mena took home a victory in the No. 1 spot over the Bisons' Rob Mitchell.

Tech sets its sights on its second match of the season over the weekend, traveling to UNC Ashville on Sunday, Feb. 7.

Check out the complete list of rankings below:

2016 OVC Men's Top Ten Player Rankings

(as voted on by the league's head coaches)

1. Eduardo Mena, So., Bultrago del Lozoya, Spain - Tennessee Tech

2. Ritchie Kruuenenberg, Jr., Nieuw-Vennep, Netherland - Morehead State

t3. Alex Alvaro, Sr., Madrid, Spain - Eastern Kentucky

t3. Alex Arovin, Sr, Donetsk, Ukraine - Tennessee Tech

5. Aaron Jumonville, Jr., Nashville, Tenn. - Austin Peay

6. Cedric Dujacquier, Jr., Feluy, Belgium - Belmont

7. Ramon van Flymen, So., Oosthuizen, Netherlands - Eastern Kentucky