ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men’s tennis team is set for a busy week of competition this week with three matches, including two at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center. The Phoenix hosts Navy on Monday and Davidson on Tuesday, followed by a match at James Madison on Friday.
LAST TIME OUT
The Phoenix earned a 6-1 victory at Winthrop on Friday. Elon has now won six of its last seven matches heading into the week. Salvador Mijares clinched the victory for Elon with a 6-2, 6-4 victory at No. 4 singles.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Navy enters Monday’s contest with an 11-6 overall record. Heading into the match, Navy has won five straight and are coming off a 6-1 victory over St. Francis Brooklyn.
Davidson (5-6) won its second straight match on Saturday with a 5-2 victory over The Citadel. The Wildcats have struggled on the road this season and have an 0-3 record thus far.
James Madison sits a 6-6 overall this season and will face the Longwood Lancers on Tuesday before hosting the Phoenix on Friday. The Dukes are 1-1 against CAA opponents this season. James Madison is currently on a two-match losing streak with losses to College of Charleston and Coastal Carolina.
SERIES HISTORY
Monday will be the first meeting for the Phoenix against Navy. Elon owns a 14-4 all-time series lead over the Davidson Wildcats, who they will face on Tuesday. The two teams faced off as Southern Conference foes from 2004 until 2014. The Phoenix has won the last 12 matchups, including a 4-3 win last season on April 2, 2015.
Elon will be meeting the James Madison Dukes for the second time in the all-time series on Friday. The Phoenix won the first matchup last season, winning 7-0 on March 21, 2015.
HOME COOKING
The Phoenix has impressed on its home court to begin the season. Elon holds a 4-1 record at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center and a 5-1 home record overall. Since the beginning of the 2013 spring season, the Phoenix has achieved a home record of 27-8.
YOUTH MOVEMENT
True freshmen have been carrying a heavy load for the Phoenix so far this season. Taylor Foote, Salvador Mijares, Felipe Osses-Konig, Mario Paccini, Felipe Sarrasague and Charlie Sullivan have combined for 26 of the team’s 41 singles wins through 12 matches. Mijares is tied with Robert Lindgren for the team lead with seven singles wins while Paccini is close behind with six victories.
LINDGREN EARNS CAA HONOR
Senior Robert Lindgren earned CAA Men’s Tennis Player of the Week last week after finishing 1-0 in singles play, earning a win against North Carolina A&T and going unfinished in his singles match against No. 28 Old Dominion.
UP NEXT
After a busy week of three matches, the Phoenix heads to Conway, S.C. to face Coastal Carolina in its lone match next week on Tuesday, March 22, for a 1 p.m. matchup.
HEAD COACH MICHAEL LEONARD
Michael Leonard is in his 12th season as Elon’s director of tennis and head men’s tennis coach. Leonard is a five-time winner of the Southern Conference Coach of the Year award and has led the program to five conference championships and two NCAA Tournament appearances.
2016 CAA TOURNAMENT
Elon was selected to host the 2016 Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships, which will be held April 21-24 at the Jimmy Powell Tennis Center and the Burlington Tennis Center. It will mark the first-ever CAA Tournament hosted by the Phoenix and first conference tournament hosted by the program since the 2013 SoCon Tournament.