March 30, 2010

Complete Weekly Release in PDF Format

SPARTANBURG, S.C. - With a title on the line, the No. 54 USC Upstate men's tennis team will face Stetson on Thursday at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex. While the Spartans currently are along in first place in the A-Sun, Stetson will look to create a three-team logjam at the top with a win that would put Stetson, ETSU and Upstate all at one loss. A win would leave Upstate just one win shy of at least a piece of the A-Sun crown for the first time. The Spartans, who could wrap up the title on Saturday against FGCU, last won a regular-season title in 2005, when Upstate finished 14-6 overall and 7-1 in the Division II Peach Belt Conference. The Hatters won the lone meeting in Spartanburg between the two schools, 4-3, on March 21, 2008.

Last Meeting Recaps April 4, 2009: Upstate 6, Stetson 1
Javier Tori set the program record for career singles wins and Leandro Osorio tied the school record for career doubles wins as the Spartans took their school-record 20th straight victory with a 6-1 win over Stetson.

April 3, 2009: Upstate 5, FGCU 2
Javier Tori set the program record for career combined wins and tied the mark for career singles wins with wins in singles and doubles play at Florida Gulf Coast and the Spartans won, 5-2.

Spartan Volleys
• With Upstate's 6-1 win over Jacksonville on Saturday, the three seniors became the winningest senior class in school history ... In four years, the Upstate senior class has helped Upstate post a 75-19 (.798) record.

• The Spartan lineup features the three winningest players in school history, with Javier Tori first with 161 wins, Jack Roux second with 139 wins and Renzo Airaldi third with 135 victories.

• Senior Javier Tori is currently on a 13-match singles winning streak, tied for the longest of the season as senior Jack Roux also won 13 straight from Jan. 23 to March 10.

• Senior Javier Tori needs one doubles win to become the only player in school history to record 20 doubles wins in all four years of his career ... He is already the only player in school history to record three 20 singles wins seasons, reaching the mark on Saturday at Jacksonville.

• Senior Javier Tori has won an A-Sun record five player of the week awards in his career and three this season.

• Senior Jack Roux is the only player in school history to win 15 singles matches in all four years of his career.

• With a 36-7 (.837) all-time record, sophomore Ramiro Blanco currently tops Upstate's all-time win percentage list, besting David Gustafsson, who posted a 34-7 (.829) mark from 2002-04.

• Upstate has gone 15-2 (.882) since an 0-3 start against three nationally-ranked opponents.

• The Spartans are 7-0 in the D-I era on Thursdays and 18-5 (.783) on Saturdays.

• The Spartans are 24-3 (.889) all-time in A-Sun matches.