Tennessee men’s tennis opened up its 2026 team campaign with a pair of wins over ETSU.
The morning session saw the Vols take six of the seven available points, squeaking by with the doubles point before cruising in singles at the Goodfriend Tennis Center. The team of Alejandro Moreno and Ethan Muza closed out a tight tiebreak 7-5 to clinch the double point, giving their squad a surge of energy that carried them through singles. Both Moreno and Muza came up with straight set wins in their respective matches, as did Jose Garcia, who also came up with a win in doubles alongside Boruch Skierkier.
The evening saw much of the same. Moreno and Muza cruised to a 6-0 win within 20 minutes, while Piotr Siekanowicz and Dragos Cazacu came up short, losing 6-3. That left Garcia and Skierkier to come up clutch to again start the Vols with the doubles point.
Things looked dire for the pair as they had dropped the first four games of their match and trailed by two breaks. But they slowly clawed their way back in and swayed the momentum in their favor. As the other matches concluded, the athletes became cheerleaders, trying to will their teammates on. The Vols exploded with energy after Garcia and Skierkier rallied to break for 5-4, and they promptly served out the match to again seize the doubles point.
From there, Tennessee took control and overwhelmed the Bucs in singles, with Moreno, Garcia, Skierkier and Jan Kobierski earning straight-set wins, giving the Vols a 5-2 win in the nightcap.
Moreno plus Muza equals magic?
Moreno and Muza have not played together long, but they played like a team that had been together for years. Even with Muza’s arrival out of the transfer portal, they showed great chemistry and fed off of each other. Moreno would crush a return and force a floating reply, and Muza would be there to clean up. When Muza was back and Moreno was at the net, the same result usually followed.
Of all the doubles pairs that played across each match, they appeared not only the most comfortable, but they played the purest form of doubles tennis. They poached, they volleyed, they finished, they forced tough replies and punished weak shots. Their reactions were timely, and their accuracy at the net was precise. Time will tell how they stack up against stiffer competition, but this could be the Vols’ strongest doubles pairing moving forward.
Garcia quite comfortable, everywhere
Garcia won all four of the matches he competed in on Friday, and his work from the baseline proved a big reason why.
His forehand and backhand stayed very steady, and when he sought to attack, they were even overpowering. He could close at the net and volley with skill, but he performed best when dictating play from the baseline. For much of his doubles matches, he spent time playing back and relying on his groundstrokes to overpower or out-finesse foes at the net.
In his singles matches, he controlled the rallies from the middle of the court, pushing his opposition around at will and finishing at the right moments. Garcia possesses a solid all-around game, but his damage is done from the baseline, a valuable weapon for the Vols to rely upon.
Loud Lucas
Associate head coach Matt Lucas was very involved and demanding of his players on court during each session. During the morning doubles matches, he could be heard urging on Moreno and Muza during their match.
Later on in the nighttime match, again he spoke up during doubles, but his urgency was felt in the very first game of the match he oversaw.
When he sought change with certain tactics or mechanics, he spoke with confidence and conviction. When he needed to push a player, he willed his man on. When his player delivered, he was quick with a congratulatory gesture or word.
Such a dynamic is important in any sport, but in tennis, it is so much more valuable because of how quickly a player can sink or swim based on their mental fortitude. Lucas brought the juice when needed, and it appeared as though his players responded the right way.
