CHARLESTON, S.C. – Coming off a split against Wofford and USC Sumter last weekend, The Citadel will be back on the courts with a home battle against South Carolina State at the Earle Tennis Center on Saturday at 1 p.m. before heading to Presbyterian on Sunday at 1 p.m. to close out the weekend.
The Bulldogs (4-5) rebounded from a 7-0 setback against Wofford last Saturday with a strong showing on Sunday afternoon against USC Sumter, taking down the Fire Ants 8-1 for their first home victory of 2021.
Josiah Schainblatt posted a dominant victory at No. 2 singles, dropping just one game in a 6-1, 6-0 showing, and
Hayden Shoemake battled hard at No. 3, rallying after dropping the second set en route to a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 victory.
In doubles play, Schainblatt paired with
Zvonko Bencedic at No. 1 and Shoemake partnered alongside
Will Graham at No. 2 as both teams cruised to identical 8-4 wins.
Despite being in-state rivals, The Citadel and South Carolina State have not faced one another in the regular season since Feb. 7, 2004; in the all-time series, The Citadel holds a 21-1 edge, with the lone blemish coming in that most recent meeting 17 years ago.
With its first three matches of the campaign cancelled, Saturday's bout will serve as the season opener for South Carolina State, which posted a 2-6 record in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
Sunday's battle with Presbyterian will be the 38th in program history between the two sides, with the Blue Hose holding a 26-9 advantage in the series. The Citadel will be seeking to snap a five-match losing streak in the series, with its last win coming in a 6-1 decision on Jan. 31, 2009.
Presbyterian (2-0) has taken down a pair of Southern Conference teams to begin its season, knocking off Mercer 6-1 on Feb. 21 and earning a 4-3 win over Chattanooga on Feb. 28. The Blue Hose have had four other matches cancelled or postponed over the first month of the campaign.
Javier Matos and Nicholas McKinney each won both of their singles matches against the Bears and Mocs at the bottom two positions, and Georgije Babic and Max Benson have paired for a 2-0 record at No. 1 doubles.
Following this weekend's matches, The Citadel will return to the Earle Tennis Center for a pair of home bouts with Davidson (March 13 at 1 p.m.) and SoCon foe Chattanooga (March 14 at 10 a.m.) next weekend.
