Tennis season is underway as the Bucs took on Appalachian State University over the weekend. The Bucs came out with a strong game plan and swept the Mountaineers 7-0.
The Bucs started off in doubles and won 6-3 with sophomore duo Frazier Rengifo (Cali, Columbia) and Yusuf Khamis (Cairo, Egypt) claiming the first victory of the day.
Doubles play for the Bucs also saw success with junior Juan Lugo (Maracay, Venezuela) and red-shirt junior Chris Mikrovas (Athens, Georgia) claiming points for the team.
The momentum didn’t stop there as the Bucs flourished in singles competition. Senior Sergi Fontcuberta (Barcelona, Spain) won 6-1 and 6-0, while Khamis secured the winning match 6-4 and 6-2.
Senior David Gonazalez (Barcelona, Spain) and junior Miguel Este (Caracas, Venezuela) both put up good numbers to finish their singles’ match, winning 6-2, 6-0 and 6-2, 6-4 respectively.
Last season the Bucs finished with a 16-8 overall record and added a SoCon championship to their name, while earning an automatic bid to the NCCA Tournament.
The team expects this season to be another successful one, as the Bucs are stacked with seven players with a variety of experience.
The Bucs also welcome three freshman: Adam O’ Shannessy (New South Wales, Australia), Mark Papdopoulos (Sydney, Australia) and Dimitri Badra (Marcay, Venezuela).
“Things are looking great for the team this season,” said head coach Martin Stiegwardt, who is in his third year with the team. “We continue to get stronger as the season goes on.”
With a strong start, the Bucs are in a good position for another successful year. With the experience and talent, the Bucs are a solid contender for the SoCon title.
The Bucs continue the action this weekend as they travel to Iowa to take on Butler and Iowa.
