FARMVILLE, Va. – Under the direction of first-year head coach Marty Perry, the Longwood men's tennis team will open its 2015 dual season Friday evening at sixth-ranked North Carolina. The match is slated for a 6:30 p.m. start inside the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center.

"Having the opportunity to open the season with a quality opponent like UNC will be an exciting way to kick off the season," Perry said. "I'm looking forward to seeing how our guys compete and handle the adversity of matching up against one of top teams in the ACC."

Alfonzo Castellano, Daniel Elston and Florian Uffer paced the Lancers throughout the fall season, as each player notched three victories. Uffer looks to build off a strong finish to the fall season, as the sophomore won the consolation finals at the Wofford Challenge. In addition, Elston and Castellano each advanced in the illustrious ITA Atlantic Regional.

The match against the Lancers will be the second of the day for the Tar Heels, as UNC is scheduled to open the 2015 slate against East Carolina at 2:30 p.m. Last season, UNC finished thirds overall in the ACC standings and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals before falling to Oklahoma, 4-2.

North Carolina features a number of the top players in college tennis throughout its singles lineup. Sophomore Brayden Schnur leads the way with a No. 2 ranking in the ITA singles rankings, while Ronnie Schneider is listed 27th overall.    

Friday's match will be the second straight season that the Lancers and Tar Heels have played on the tennis courts, as North Carolina won last season's match in Chapel Hill, 7-0.

#GoWood