CHARLESTON, S.C. – The Citadel will kick off a seven-match homestand at the Earle Tennis Center on Friday afternoon at Noon, hosting Georgia Southern for a non-conference match before welcoming Southern Conference foe Furman on Saturday.
The Bulldogs (4-10, 0-3 SoCon) made the long trip to Birmingham, Ala., for their most recent match, falling 6-0 at Samford on Wednesday afternoon in a match that did not feature doubles action due to impending severe weather.
Hayden Shoemake won a match-high four games in singles for The Citadel, and
Zvonko Bencedic,
Josiah Schainblatt and
Phillip Quinn each won three games apiece despite falling in straight sets.
Georgia Southern (8-6) has won just two points in its last four matches after an 8-2 start. The Eagles were swept by Florida Atlantic and Georgia Tech and then took just one point off both UNC Wilmington (6-1) and Coastal Carolina (4-1) over their last four outings.
The Eagles lead the all-time series by a 34-17 margin over the Bulldogs, and The Citadel will be looking to snap a 10-match skid in the series on Friday with its first win over Georgia Southern since March 13, 2010.
Furman (4-7, 1-0 SoCon) swept UNCG in its lone conference match of the season thus far but has won just one of its five matches since then. Last weekend, the Paladins dropped a pair of matches on the road at Stetson (5-2) and North Florida (6-1) to lead into Saturday's tilt in Charleston.
Saturday's bout will be the 93rd all-time between the Bulldogs and the Paladins, with Furman holding a 62-30 edge in the series. The Citadel will be aiming for its first win over the Paladins since a 6-3 victory on April 16, 1989.
Following Saturday's match, The Citadel will have more than a week off before battling crosstown rival College of Charleston at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 31.
