Though the men’s and women’s tennis teams are coming off successful seasons, both teams look to improve when they take the court again this spring.

Both teams will resume play in January and will be led by strong senior leadership, with skill from the younger players.

The men’s team looks to lock up a conference championship.

“It’s tough coming out each year trying to defend a title led by three seniors,” said men’s coach Yaser Zaatini. “[The] team has hunger to do the right thing.”

The men’s schedule has them traveling the majority of the regular season.

“Every match is special, whether it’s non-conference or a big team,” Zaatini said. “When the streak is on the line in the conference, it’s about improving.”

Zaatini feels the leadership of his older players will be a big factor this upcoming season.

“I think (junior) David Biosca, (junior) Ismael Merino and (junior) Diego Nunez have all made improvements at their level,” Zaatini said.

The player Zaatini expects to step up the most is sophomore Robert Herrera. Herrera is a young player who looks to make big strides when tournament time arrives. If all goes according to plan, the men expect to go a long way in the NCAA tournament.

The women’s team is lead by four seniors, all of whom have gained experience the past four years. Among them is Lyn Yee Choo, who is one of the most accomplished players on the team.

The women plan to get refreshed after New Year’s, then get some conditioning in before the season begins. 179L

“Every year, we look forward to when we get to conference time,” said Travis. “[We need] to peak at the right time and hopefully get a No. 1 seed.”

Women’s coach Travis Sandlant feels the team chemistry and unity has improved coming into the season.

“I’m most looking forward to looking to see how the freshmen do in a team environment and team matches, and hopefully they can give us some big wins,” said Sandlant.

Both teams are looking to be very competitive this spring, with championship aspirations. The seniors will look to push the teams as far as they can with the help of the youth on the rosters.

Author

  • Edwin Nelson

    Edwin Nelson is a Sophomore from Chattanooga who moved to Johnson City to pursue a journalism degree at ETSU. His passion for writing about sports — especially basketball — is what led him to choose journalism as a major and join the East Tennessean staff. When he’s not watching the Bucs play, he’s watching his favorite professional basketball team, the Cleveland Cavaliers.

    View all posts