February 8, 2022

Tech tennis secures top spot in OVC’s predicted order of finish, takes home league-leading six on preseason player top 10

The Tennessee Tech tennis team highlighted the OVC’s annual men’s tennis predicted order of finish as well as the preseason player top 10 in a poll that featured more than its fair share of purple and gold.

By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information

COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee Tech tennis team highlighted the OVC's annual men's tennis predicted order of finish as well as the preseason player top 10 in a poll that featured more than its fair share of purple and gold.

The Golden Eagles were picked to win the title after securing four-of-five first place votes on the way to a conference-high 16 points, while Kenny Doyle's squad also possessed a league-leading six different student-athletes on the preseason player top 10.

Both lists were announced by the conference Tuesday morning following a vote among the OVC's five head coaches.

Four Golden Eagles cracked the top five in the preseason poll, headlined by Carlos Vicente's No. 1 ranking. Elias Grubert secured a No. 3 spot in the top toll, while Evzen Holis was ranked preseason No. 4 for the second straight season and Rafael Tosetto found himself saddled with a No. 5 ranking. Andre Rodeia and Mika Berghaus rounded out the poll with Rodeia landing on the No. 9 spot and Berghaus in the No. 10 slot.

From a team perspective, Tech marches into the 2022 spring campaign after another regular-season title in 2021, the program's eighth in the last 10 full seasons. After a 4-1 win in the OVC Tournament semifinals against Austin Peay, the Golden Eagles fell 4-3 in the championship match to Belmont in an affair that saw TTU forced to play shorthanded due to COVID-19 protocols. The Golden Eagles had to forfeit both a singles and doubles matchup in a narrow defeat that kept Tech from its fifth consecutive tournament title.

Carlos Vicente is coming off an All-OVC first-team selection behind a 4-1 OVC singles record and a 9-6 overall mark out of the No. 1 spot in the TTU solo order. Elias Grubert, also an All-OVC first teamer in 2021, compiled a perfect 5-0 singles account during conference play and is coming off an impressive 10-4 fall showing for the Parana, Argentina product.

Evzen Holis, a 2021 All-OVC second-team selection, paced the purple and gold with a 13-4 fall, which came on the heels of a 3-1 conference singles ledger and an 8-6 overall spring mark. Rafael Tosetto, who took home All-OVC first-team recognition last spring, boasted an unblemished 5-0 league record last year and a 10-4 singles mark in the fall.

Andre Rodeia, an All-OVC second-teamer in 2021, led the Golden Eagles last spring with 10 wins, including a 5-0 OVC record. The 5-foot-9 sophomore followed it up with a 7-4 fall ledger. Mika Berghaus mirrored Rodeia's 5-0 OVC record with one of his own as part of a 7-5 overall spring season. The Cologne, Germany native carried that success over with a 10-3 fall record.

Four matches into its 2022 spring slate, Tech tennis will head to Lipscomb for a Friday night showdown with the Bisons. First serve in Nashville is set for 6 p.m. CT.

2022 OVC Men's Predicted Order of Finish