Hokies men's tennis prepares for ACC Championships
Junior Edoardo Tessaro hits a forehand. Tessaro and the men's tennis team looks to finish the season strong at the ACC Championships.
Courtesy of hokie sports
The Virginia Tech men’s tennis team ended the regular season on a positive note, winning four consecutive games and ranking No. 14 in the nation.
Due to its 19-3 overall record, 10-2 in the ACC, Tech earned the second seed in the upcoming ACC Championships. The tournament will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina, and starts Thursday, April 23 at 9 a.m.
The Hokies, however, will not be taking the court as the matches kick off. As a result of attaining the second seed, the team will receive a first round bye, facing the winner of No. 7 Notre Dame and No. 10 Georgia Tech on Friday following opening day.
Virginia Tech defeated both Notre Dame and Georgia Tech this season, winning 4-3 and 6-1, respectively.
Virginia Tech only lost to three teams in the season, to Wake Forest, Virginia and North Carolina. All the losses came on the road versus those teams, and a more neutral site against these teams should allow for a shot at redemption for the Hokies.
No. 3-seeded Wake Forest and No. 1-seeded Virginia are also the only other teams who will receive a first round bye in the tournament. Virginia will play the winner of No. 8 Florida State and No. 9 NC State while Wake Forest will play the victor of No. 6 Louisville and No. 11 Clemson.
Players to watch for the Hokies include junior Andreas Bjerrehus and senior Hunter Koontz.
Bjerrehus, the team’s No. 1 singles player and 45th-ranked singles player by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association rankings, has been great against tough competition including defeating Nicolas Alvarez, the ITA eighth-ranked newcomer/freshman, when the Hokies defeated then-No. 2 Duke.
Bjerrehus also teamed up with Koontz, the team’s fourth best singles player, and the duo won the top doubles match in their last regular season match against 32nd ranked Florida State.
The other players in the Hokies' top six are Amerigo Contini, Joao Monteiro, Edoardo Tessaro and Jai Corbett. These players will also play a vital role in doubles matches.
The first of the remaining seeds and matches in the tournament include No. 5 Duke vs. No. 12 Miami. Virginia Tech kept Miami scoreless 7-0 in a win earlier this season. The other game pits No. 4 North Carolina, which Virginia Tech split its two matches with, against No. 13 Boston College which, like Miami, lost to the Hokies 7-0.
The tournament, which ends with the championship match Sunday, April 26 at 10 a.m., could be the final piece to a successful year for the Hokies.