BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- The nationally-ranked Samford University men's tennis team will begin play in its 2014 dual-match season Monday at 1 p.m. (CST) as the No. 63 Bulldogs welcome the Mercer Bears to the Samford Tennis Complex for a highly-anticipated non-conference matchup.
 
Samford (0-0) enters the spring season in impressive fashion as the No. 63-ranked team in the nation, it was recently announced by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA). The feat marks the first time in school history that the Bulldogs will open a spring season ranked amongst the nation's elite.
 
Samford boasts three returning starters from last year's Southern Conference Tournament championship squad, including senior Elliot Barnwell, junior Austin Akers and sophomore Fares Kilani.
 
The Bulldogs' 2014 spring roster will also include redshirt freshman Henry Moore, highly-touted true freshman Liam Sullivan and sophomore Trey Carter, who recently transferred from NC State.
 
The Bulldogs are coming off a thrilling 2012-13 season, in which Samford concluded the 2013 campaign as the 60^th-ranked team in the nation, just one spot behind Arkansas.
 
Samford finished the year with a 15-10 overall record and a 7-3 mark in SoCon play. The Bulldogs earned a second-place finish in the league's regular-season schedule and then reeled off SoCon Tournament victories against Davidson, 4-1, College of Charleston, 4-1, and Elon, 4-3, to earn a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
 
The achievement marked the second time in three years that Samford reached the NCAA Tournament.
 
Mercer (1-4) will head into Monday's contest having already played six dual matches this season. On Friday, the Bears traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., for a doubleheader against the No. 58-ranked Arkansas and dropped a pair of decisions by scores of 5-2 and 6-1.
 
The first match was highlighted by a pair of strong wins from Manuel de Luis, who defeated Pete Thomason (6-4, 6-3) and reigning Atlantic Sun Conference Player of the Week, Oliver Snaider. Snaider defeated the Razorbacks' Juan Marino 6-4 and 6-5, after leading the sets 4-2 and 4-1 respectively.
 
In doubles play, Arkansas blanked Mercer's efforts. Snaider and Austin Emmet were defeated 6-3, Arnav and Arsav Mohanty were defeated 6-2, and de Luis and Anderson Scarpa were defeated 6-2.
 
The Bears' De Luis again showed his strength in the second match, topping Santiago Munoz, 6-3, 3-6, and finally winning in the third set and scoring the only singles win for Mercer in the second match. In doubles play, Snaider and Emmet scored big with a 6-3 win, while Mohanty and Scarpa lost 6-3 and De Luis and Jaoa Pagan lost 6-3.
 
Additionally this season, Mercer defeated Florida A&M, 3-2, but also suffered losses to Florida State, 4-0, and Furman, 4-1. As of post time Sunday, the Bears were in the midst of a dual match at Auburn.
 
Following Monday's season-opening showdown with Mercer, the 63^rd-ranked Samford University men's tennis team will next be in action Friday at the prestigious ITA Kick-Off Weekend, which will be held on the campus of the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va.
 
The annual event features some of the elite teams in the nation and is slated to be held Jan. 24-26. Samford will open the three-day competition against No. 56-ranked Indiana on Friday and will then face either No. 1-ranked Virginia or No. 64-ranked Elon in the second round of action.