Feb. 11, 2005

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - The Purdue men's tennis team hits the road for the first time this season when it travels to the Tar Heel State for weekend matches at No. 57 N.C. State and No. 30 North Carolina.

The 68th-ranked Boilermakers, who will take a 1-0 record into their match against the Wolfpack, have been off since opening the season with a 7-0 win over Butler. Purdue swept all six singles and three doubles matches against the Bulldogs.

A tougher challenge will be provided by the Wolfpack, which has climbed 18 spots in the ITA national rankings since the first poll came out Jan. 11. N.C. State owns a spotless 8-0 record and is off to its best start since 1978 (19-0). For the first time since 2000, the Wolfpack have beaten two teams ranked in the ITA top 100: No. 58 UL-Lafayette and No. 59 Brown.

Leading the way for N.C. State is No. 1 player Conor Taylor, who is ranked 87th. No. 5 player William Noblitt is 8-0.

North Carolina is 5-2, and is coming off a Thursday home win against South Carolina. The Tar Heels, whose losses have come to No. 34 Notre Dame and No. 40 Northwestern, boast the nation's ninth-ranked doubles team of Geoff Boyd and Brad Pomeroy. Meanwhile, No. 1 player Raian Luchici, who is 16-4 this year, is ranked 66th in singles.

Purdue junior Paul Rose likely will draw the match-up with both Taylor and Luchici. Rose, ranked 76th, is 11-5 this year.

Rose will need help if the Boilermakers are to defeat N.C. State and challenge the Tar Heels for their first win against a top-50 team since April 18, 2003 (6-1 vs. Indiana). Ironically, Purdue's last road win came exactly one year later; the Boilermakers were 4-11 away from West Lafayette in 2004.

Purdue trails the all-time series with the both teams. N.C. State has won two of the three meetings, but the Boilermakers won the last match 7-0 on Feb. 29, 2004.

Despite blanking the Wolfpack last season, Purdue head coach Tim Madden says the Boilermakers should be prepared to face a new team.

"N.C. State is an improved team that is very competitive, enthusiastic, and plays at a high energy level," Madden says. "We can't go there expecting to beat them 7-0. We know we will have to play very well to win."

North Carolina has won all three meetings with the Boilermakers. They last met five years ago, with the Tar Heels winning 4-3 in Chapel Hill.

With two recent losses, Madden would like to think his Boilermakers are catching the Tar Heels at the right time.

"North Carolina is a highly ranked team that plays with a lot of confidence, but they have had a couple losses that could have them second guessing themselves," Madden says. "We've never beaten them, and we are looking forward to the challenge."

Madden says victories this weekend will come only if the supporting cast contributes.

"I feel like Paul and our three seniors are providing a great deal of consistency in our lineup," Madden says. "But we need players like Colin Foster, Jarred Leibner and Eric Hodgman to make a big impact for us this weekend. In order for us to win, they will have to come out and play with a lot of energy and conviction."

One of the aforementioned seniors is Sounak Chatterjee. A native of Calcutta, India, Chatterjee went to high school in North Carolina, at Charlotte Country Day.

Purdue will meet N.C. State on Feb. 12 at 10 a.m. The Boilermakers and Tar Heels will square off Feb. 13 at 1 p.m.

- P -

Printer-friendly format	Email this article

Purdue Boilermakers