Michigan State University Athletics
MSU Hosts No. 22 Tigers
2/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
EAST LANSING, Mich. - After winning three of their last four matches on the road, the No. 60 Spartans return home for the second time this spring to host the No. 22 Memphis Tigers (3-2).
"We came to work," head coach Gene Orlando said. "It was a quick turnaround from late Saturday night, getting off the bus to Monday morning in the weight room."
MSU is coming off a tough, hard-fought 4-0 loss at No. 42 Louisville, and a 6-0 win at IUPUI on Saturday.
"The loss was a wakeup call," Orlando said. "When you look back, it's a missed opportunity, but they were an NCAA qualifier last year, and are a senior-laden team.
"Still, you can't dwell on the past."
The Tigers hosted Michigan State two years ago, defeating the Spartans 6-1. Memphis was ranked No. 33 in the nation, while MSU was ranked No. 52. It was the season opener for both squads.
Memphis has qualified for the last three NCAA tournaments.
"We know what is ahead of us, and we're excited for the opportunity," Orlando said. This is a marque match up, and there's definitely a different feel at home."
Last Time Out
Michigan State traveled to No. 42 Louisville this past weekend looking to avenge a 7-0 loss to the Cardinals last year. In a match that was much closer than the score indicated, the Spartans fell, 4-0.
There was a silver lining to the loss; John Patrick Mullane returned to the lineup and played "at a high level" according to Orlando. Mullane was the No. 1 singles and No. 1 doubles player (with Harry Jadun) before a shoulder injury sidelined him after the doubles match against NC State on Jan. 18.
MSU boasts No. 100 Harry Jadun and No. 109 Gijs Linders, as well as the No. 43 doubles pair of Jadun and Mullane.
The Spartans then traveled to Indianapolis later that night, and thrashed the Jaguars of IUPUI, 6-0.
What to Expect from the Memphis Tigers
Memphis will be the seventh ranked opponent MSU has played this season. The Tigers own wins over No. 35 Clemson, Murray State and Chattanooga. Their losses are to No. 7 Duke and No. 21 South Carolina. Memphis has made the NCAA Tournament each of the last three years, but the Tigers return only one player from last year's squad; Connor Glennon.
In terms of rankings, Glennon is ranked No. 102; Memphis also has No. 40 Andrew Watson. Michigan State is 0-6 all-time against the Tigers, falling on the road to open the 2013 spring season, 6-1.
Protect This House
Dating back to the 2011-2012 season, the Spartans are 31-9 at home, including four ranked wins last year.
On the Double
Michigan State has won seven of their last eight doubles points, and is 7-1 when they win the doubles point. The Spartans' only loss when winning the doubles point was to No. 3 Georgia. MSU is also 4-1 against ranked doubles opponents.
Depth is Key
The Spartans' bottom four singles spots are a combined 27-9 on the season, good for a .750 winning percentage. Mac Roy is 2-0 at the No. 3 spot, and 4-1 at the No. 4 spot. Michael Dube is 3-0 at both the No. 4 and No. 5 spots. Jasper Koenen is 3-0 at the No. 5 and No. 6 spots, and Doug Zade is 3-0 at the No. 6 spot.
