Michigan State Hits the Road to Face Memphis

Jan. 19, 2017

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's tennis team will take to the road for the next month of competition. Michigan State will start its first road trip at Memphis to face the Tigers on Friday, Jan. 20. The meet is set to begin at 8 p.m. ET.

"It's a good measuring stick for us to see where we are and where we can get to," said head coach Gene Orlando. "Hopefully we continue what we need to do, and we can see what we need to do more of, but we are excited about the opportunity."

LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State is looking to pick up where it left off after beginning the season with a 2-0 record last Saturday, Jan. 14, when MSU hosted Wright State and Xavier in two separate dual matches. Michigan State defeated Wright State 7-0, and then followed up with a 5-2 victory over Xavier later that evening.

Junior Jasper Koenen and sophomore Billy Shisler were the two Spartans who competed in both matches and won their singles matches against Wright State and Xavier. At No. 1 singles Koenen defeated Javier Alvarez of Wright State 6-4, 6-2 before defeating Jack Dykema of Xavier in No. 3 singles 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. Shisler won his No. 4 singles battle against Donovan Cellupica of Wright State 6-0, 6-1 and then defeated Xavier's Matthew Graft in No. 6 singles, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.

Koenen and junior Michael Dube picked up two victories in the No. 1 doubles spot to help the Spartans pick up the doubles point in each contest. Koenen and Dube defeated Alvarez and Cellupica of Wright State 6-3, and downed Dykema and Schneider of Xavier 6-2.

Junior Brett Forman saw action against Xavier picking up a 6-3, 6-1 victory in the No. 1 singles against Jeremy Schneider. Forman and sophomore Alexander Kim also earned a 6-4 victory at No. 3 doubles to secure the doubles point for MSU against Xavier.

Sophomore Colin Harvey and freshman Doug Francken competed in singles against Wright State where they both picked up victories. Harvey in the No. 5 singles spot defeated Carlos Sanchez 6-4, 6-2 and in No. 6 singles Francken defeated Holloway 6-0, 6-1.

"It's great to go into a match with two wins underneath your belt," said Orlando. "Memphis is a good team, they're a much tougher challenge. They're a team who has qualified for the NCAA Tournament the past couple years and this is match scheduled to play a quality team and to help us continue to grow and improve."

SCOUTING MEMPHIS
After an active fall, Memphis will begin the spring season hosting Michigan State and will follow up with LSU two days later in the Racquet Club of Memphis.

The team had a pair of juniors in the first rankings of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for 2017. Ryan Peniston, who won the ITA Ohio Valley singles championship in the fall, and Andrew Watson are each in the first rankings of the spring. Peniston is ranked number 35 in the country after going 9-4 in singles play during the fall.

Last season, Memphis concluded the year with an overall record of 14-10. The Tigers qualified for the NCAA Tournament and graduated just one player, returning eight players in the lineup and welcoming one newcomer.

NEXT UP
Michigan State will travel to play No. 25 Duke on Friday, Jan. 27 at 6 p.m. ET in the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.