SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Kennesaw State men's tennis team will kick off their 2010 Atlantic Sun Conference campaign with a difficult road match against No. 72-ranked USC Upstate on Friday afternoon at the USC Upstate Tennis Complex.

This will be the first ranked opponent for the Owls (3-4) this season, as they hope to reverse their fortunes in the A-Sun after finishing their inaugural season with a 2-9 record in the conference.

"We have one of the toughest mid-major conferences in tennis," commented head coach T.J. Greggs. "Three teams are ranked in the top 75 in the nation, and USC Upstate is one of the premier programs in this conference. We are very familiar with their team, and know we can compete with them. We've worked hard and will leave it all on the court."

After three straight losses to begin the season, the Spartans (1-3) enter the contest on the heels of their first win of the season, a 6-1 win over Georgia Southern. Their losses have all come to teams ranked in the top 100,  No. 43 Georgia Tech, No. 7 Georgia and No. 65 Clemson.

Kennesaw State has moved to within one game of the .500 mark after sweeping a pair of matches from Alabama State and Alabama A&M last weekend in Montgomery, Ala.

Friday’s match will be a true match of experience against youth. USC Upstate feature three seniors in their lineup while the most experienced starters for Kennesaw State are sophomores.

"We went three sets in three of the six matches against this team a year ago," added Greggs. "We are an improved team from last season and I believe we have as good a chance as anyone to pull of the upset tomorrow."

The Owls will return to Kennesaw on Saturday for their home opener. The Black and Gold will meet North Carolina Central at 3:00 p.m. at the KSU Tennis Complex. Admission to the match is free and parking is available for the public in the East Parking Deck.