MOUNT ST. MARY'S (0-0) vs. SHEPHERD (1-2)
Wednesday, Sept. 25, 3 p.m.
Mount Tennis Courts, Emmitsburg, Md.
MOUNT UPDATE: Following two invitationals to kick off the fall season, the Mount is set to play its first dual when Shepherd makes its way to Emmitsburg for a 3 p.m. match at the Mount Tennis Courts on Wednesday, Sept. 25. The Mount will be competing against Shepherd for the 10th-consecutive fall.
LAST TIME OUT: The Mount faced tough competition at the two-day George Mason Invitational over the weekend. Going up against competitors from Mary Washington, UMBC and George Mason, junior Will Briscoe earned his second singles victory of the season by holding on for a 6-2, 3-6, 13-11 hard-fought win over UMBC's Andrew Pagan.
ABOUT THE RAMS: Shepherd will be playing its fourth dual of the season on Wednesday, looking to improve on its 1-2 record. Junior Chris Pratt is 3-0 in No. 1 singles action this season with all three wins coming in straight sets. Last time out, the Rams fell to Chowan, 5-4, on Sept. 21.
LAST TIME VS. SHEPHERD: Last fall, the two sides squared off in Shepherdstown, W. Va. with the Mount winning two of three doubles matches and six of seven singles matches to claim a 7-2 win. Austin Blake, who already has two singles wins to his credit this season, was a straight-set winner at No. 4 singles against the Rams in the Sept. 25 match.
ALL-TIME SERIES WITH SHEPHERD: The Mount has won four-consecutive matches versus the Rams to improve its standings in the all-time series to 9-6. Since making the matches a yearly event every fall since 2004, the Mount holds a 6-3 advantage in wins.
YEAR-BY-YEAR RESULTS VS. SHEPHERD (9-6)
4/26/89: W, 8‐1, Home
3/28/90: W, 6‐3, Away
4/14/99: W, 9‐0, Home
4/3/01: L, 6‐2, Away
4/4/02: L, 7‐0, Home
4/14/03: L, 6‐3, Away
9/20/04: L, 6‐1, Home
9/15/05: W, 5‐4, Away
10/2/06: W, 4‐3, Home
9/18/07: L, 7‐2, Away
9/16/08: L, 4‐3, Home
9/15/09: W, 7‐0, Home
9/21/10: W, 7‐2, Away
9/20/11: W, 5‐2, Home
9/25/12: W, 7‐2, Away
SEASON DEBUTS: In 25 seasons since moving to Division I in 1988-89, the Mount is 10-15 in season opening matches. Since Phil Hammond's first season in 2004-05, the Mount has started off 1-0 in seven out of his nine years in Emmitsburg.
THROUGH TWO TOURNAMENTS: Austin Blake and Peter Salomon have both secured two wins in singles play this season. In doubles action, Salomon has paired with Louis Tonon for a 3-1 mark.
COACHING STAFF: Head Coach Phil Hammond is entering his 10th season at the helm for the Mount. In his first nine seasons, Hammond has built both the men's and women's programs into perennial contenders in the Northeast Conference. On the women's side, Hammond's coaching record is 117-83, while putting together an 88-103 mark with the men's team. His assistants are sixth-year coach Bill Holloway and the Mount's all-time leader for singles wins, Mike Salomon, who graduated from the Mount in 2013.
UP NEXT: The Mount will play its first road dual on Saturday, Oct. 5, at La Salle at 11 a.m.
