The Eastern mens tennis team will travel to Nashville, Tenn., this weekend for the opening round of the Ohio Valley Conference Championship.

The Panthers are seeded No. 6 in the eight-team field and will begin play against the University of Tennessee-Martin, who owns the third seed.

Earlier in the season, the Panthers fell to Tennessee-Martin in split sets.

Despite the loss to the Skyhawks in the regular season head coach Brian Holzgrafe believes the Panthers match up well because his team has the close-knit unity that Tennessee-Martin lacks.

Holzgrafe said Tennessee-Martin head coach Dennis Taylor has a talented group, but they are also an unfocused group.

“We are short a few players because of injury but we have a solid team and we will be ready for Tennessee-Martin,” Holzgrafe said.

“This will be a good test of our heart and character, we may be seven or eight individuals but more importantly we are one team.”

The Panthers will be counting on solid play from Brandon Blankenbaker and Kyle White as well as leadership from Lukasz Pluta and Andy Baker this weekend.

“Brandon has really intensified his play since the beginning of the year. Right now he is going all out,” Holzgrafe said. “Kyle White was our No. 9 singles player at start of season but he has really improved and now is in one of the top six spots on the roster.”

“Lukasz is the team’s unwritten leader while Baker is our leader on paper. Lukasz has the best tennis technique on the team and his play has made him a leader,” said Holzgrafe.

Regardless of what happens in Tennessee, Holzgrafe said he has been pleased with his first year as head coach.

“It has been a great experience and definitely a challenge. It has become my life,” said Holzgrafe. “I don’t do this for the school or the money but for the kids. I’m blessed to have good kids with good grades and I am very honored to be their coach.”

The women’s squad earned the No. 4 seed and will face off with No. 5 Morehead State.