KENNESAW, Ga. — Kennesaw State men's tennis surged in singles to defeat Samford 5-2 in its 2026 home-opener at Betty Siegel Courts on Friday afternoon.
"What a way to open our home courts for the season," said KSU associate head coach
Simon Pritchard. "Our guys stepped up in singles and did an awesome job bringing the energy across all six singles courts from start to finish. We're excited to get back out there tomorrow against Troy."
The Owls have now won four of their last five matches against Samford and hold a 4-3 lead in the all-time series. The Bulldogs won 4-3 at Alabama on Feb. 1 and are the reigning SoCon Champions.
Ben Hudson made quick work of Samford's Darcy Nicholls with a straight-set singles win (6-2, 6-4) for the Owls' first point of the day.
Leon Peranovic blanked the Bulldogs' Santiago Arredondo in set one before taking his match with a 6-4 second set.
Xavi Ferrer used set wins of 6-1 and 6-4 to defeat Samford's Vitoria Sardinha, giving KSU a 3-1 lead.
Nathan Walters then sealed the match for the Owls as he willed his way back from a set-one loss to wins of 6-1 and 6-4 over the final two sets.
Dominic Ducariu scored KSU's final point of the day on court four with a 6-3 first set and 7-6 (7-3) third.
Samford's points came on courts two and three in doubles and a court-two singles victory.
UP NEXT
The Owls are back in action at home for a match with Troy (4-2) tomorrow at 1 p.m. EST.
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The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
