ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The UCF men's tennis match against Bethune-Cookman on Thursday marks the final home contest of the season. Jose Sangroniz will be recognized for Senior Day.
"UCF has been a great opportunity for me to grow and become the person I want to be," Sangroniz said. "I came as a kid and I will leave as an adult. Playing tennis for UCF is probably the best choice I've ever made. It made me mature as a player, and at the same time, I was surrounded by the most awesome teammates, coaches and trainers. I've had a lot of fun at UCF, and I will never forget what it means to be a Knight."
Sangroniz, who has accumulated 22 singles wins in dual matches for the Knights, will be honored prior to the match.
Free tank tops will be given out to 30 fans at the match. Doubles action starts at 2 p.m. at the UCF Tennis Complex.
The Knights (8-11) return to action on their home courts after falling 4-0 at No. 17 USF on Sunday.
Junior Inaki Espindola has five wins at No. 1 singles, while junior Chris Barrus has four wins at No. 2. Sophomore Nico De Fraia has collected seven of his 10 singles wins at No. 5.
In doubles action, UCF's No. 1 tandem of Barrus and Espindola have eight wins on the season. Sangroniz and partner sophomore Tyler Pate have four wins at No. 2, while junior Mariano Porter and freshman Jack Thiessen have four wins at No. 3.
Bethune-Cookman enters the weekend with a 10-10 overall record. The Wildcats saw a six-match win streak over the weekend. Alexander Chepik has a 10-6 record at No. 1, while Walid Gtari has an 11-5 record at No. 2 singles. Chepik and partner Greg Almeida are 5-2 for the Wildcats at No. 1 doubles.
Thursday's meeting marks the 13th matchup between the two programs, and the Knights are 12-0 against the Wildcats. In the last meeting, UCF defeated Bethune-Cookman, 7-0, at the UCF Tennis Complex in 2014.
The Knights close out the regular season on the road, heading to Tulsa to face their fifth American Athletic Conference opponent of the season on April 17.
