BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In a match held completely indoors at the Samford Tennis Center Wednesday, the Samford University men's tennis team breezed to a 4-0 victory against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks in an early-season nonconference duel.
"We got off to a great start on all courts today," said Samford head coach Rahim Esmail. "We got on top of them early and that made a huge difference in the match. This was a good win for us, to come out the gates as well as we did and to get a convincing victory over a solid team."
With Wednesday's shutout win, Samford (3-1) tallied its second straight victory and remained undefeated at home. Last week, the Bulldogs picked up one of the program's best all-time wins as Samford defeated the 45th-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide on the road in Tuscaloosa, 4-3.
Against Jacksonville State (0-5), the teams started with the singles competition and the Bulldogs picked up straight-set victories from Zac Dunkle, 6-2, 7-5, Fares Kilani, 6-0, 6-1, and Alex Sajonz, 6-1, 6-3. Samford jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead Wednesday and then received the clinching win on court No. 2 as Elliot Barnwell topped the Gamecocks' Igor Santos in three sets, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4.
Dunkle, who competed at the No. 1 singles spot, improved his record on the season to 3-1, while Kilani did the same at the No. 3 singles position.
The Samford University men's tennis team will next be in action Friday at 11 a.m. (CST) as the Bulldogs begin a critical two-match stretch versus Southeastern Conference opponents at Mississippi State. Samford will then return home from Starkville, Miss., to face Kentucky on Feb. 24 at 10 a.m.