Coming off of a 12-3 record last spring, the College's men's tennis team is hoping it only needs slight improvement both individually and as a team in order to claim even more glory than last season.
The Lions finished last year ranked No. 8 regionally, and missed entering the NCAA Division III Regional Tournament by only one match.
Corey Ball and co-captain Ryan Carty, sophomores at the time, received a No. 2 regional ranking in doubles play and ended the season at 21-2.
Carty also claimed a No. 10 rank in singles play and was invited to compete in the NCAA Division III Singles Tournament where he fell in the first round and finished 22-5 on the season.
With these marks and an 11-match win streak that lasted from Feb. 13 through April 17, the Lions have reason to think they will push through the fall as an even stronger force in the region.
"(The players) have made great strides over the year and they know they still have a lot of room for improvement," head coach Scott Dicheck said. "We're very optimistic because six of our starters are back and we should improve in all areas to produce an even better season than last."
Dicheck's focus for the season will be to strengthen doubles in order to become an even more formidable opponent. Victor Lai and Ken Tsui of the third doubles team were the only graduation casualties.
The team is now looking towards incoming freshman Roger Mosteller to help balance both the singles and doubles lineups.
"I expect Roger to make an immediate impact because he has a lot of talent and a great mindset," Dicheck said. "He is a hard worker and he has a prominent chance of starting in singles and doubles. He could easily blend in both areas."
Because of the short season, the Lions' main focus is to finish at a higher rank than last spring and to reach regionals and nationals.
The season starts for the men at the Lions Fall Kickoff Sept. 10-11.
The men's season will comprise of only tournaments including regionals and nationals at the end of the fall.
