Harding Men's Tennis

#33 Harding (5-3) vs. #51 Nebraska-Kearney (9-4)

Location: Searcy, Ark.

Time: Monday, Mar. 24, 10 a.m.

Series: HU leads 1-0

Coaches: Harding – Marco Ruiz (5-3, 1st season at Harding); Nebraska-Kearney – Jake Saulsbury (5th season at UNK).

Two of the top-ranked teams in the NCAA Division II Central Region will meet Monday at 10 a.m. at the Harding Tennis Complex. Harding, ranked No. 33 in NCAA II and No. 4 in the Central Region hosts Nebraska-Kearney, ranked No. 51 nationally and No. 7 regionally.

Harding and Nebraska-Kearney will be meeting for only the second time. The Bisons won the only previous meeting 9-0 on Mar. 23, 2000.

Four regionally-ranked players will likely see action in singles play. Harding freshman Mathaus Spiering is ranked No. 5 in singles in the Central Region, and junior Jon Mark Rowden is No. 20. Nebraska-Kearney has the No. 8 player in Yeswanth Nadella of India and No. 17 Mohab El Zanaty of Egypt.

In doubles action, Harding's No. 1 duo of Spiering and Rowden is ranked No. 4 in the region, and Nebraska-Kearney's Nadella and Neto Cacace is ranked No. 6.

Harding and Nebraska-Kearney have played two common opponents. Harding defeated Southwest Baptist 5-4 and lost 8-1 to Drury. Nebraska-Kearney lost 6-3 to Southwest Baptist and 9-0 to Drury.

Nebraska-Kearney is a member of the MIAA and has a 0-2 conference record. Harding is a member of the Great American Conference and has not played a conference match yet.

UNIVERSAL TENNIS RANKINGS POTENTIAL MATCHUPS (based on most-used singles lineups this season)