Men's Tennis 2011 Season Preview
The Mitchell College men's tennis team has dominated the New England Collegiate Conference the past two seasons, and head coach Rick Carmona returns a talented roster that will look to extend the success into the 2011 season. The Mariners will be looking to take home their third straight NECC title.
Carmona returns six players from last year's squad, a group that combined for a record of 68-3 in singles play and captured eight of the nine flights at the NECC Individual Tennis Championship. Included in the mix are the reigning NECC Player and Rookie of the Year, primary reasons why the Mariners were selected as the preseason favorite to win the conference crown again in 2011.
Junior Kyle Carmona will play at the top spot in both singles and doubles. The two-time NECC Player of the Year has yet to drop a match in his collegiate career and posted an 11-0 record last season. He is also a two-time all-conference pick in both singles and doubles.
Another key component to last year's success was sophomore Rocco Devona, who enjoyed a stellar first season with the Mariners. Playing primarily at No.2 singles, Devona racked up a 12-0 record and was named NECC Rookie of the Year. He also earned all-conference honors in both singles and doubles. He partnered with Kyle Carmona at No. 1 doubles to go 11-0 on the season.
Rounding out the top of the lineup is junior Tyler Engleberg, who is also undefeated in singles play during his collegiate career. Last season he went 8-0 while primarily playing at No. 3 and earned all-conference distinction. The 2009 NECC Rookie of the Year also posted an 8-1 record in doubles play.
With Carmona, Devona and Engleberg solidifying the top of the lineup, the remaining members of the squad will need to step up and fill out the order. Several returning players should be up to the challenge.
Adam Samuels and Will Frohnhoefer are the only seniors on the roster. Samuels went 10-2 in singles play last season while seeing action at both the No. 4 and 5 positions. He also teamed with Chris White to go 9-3 in doubles, but White's graduation will leave Samuels to build chemistry with a new playing partner. Frohnhoefer, a member of the squad as a freshman in 2008, returns after a two-year hiatus from the team. He will need to be a dependable option at the bottom of the order to pick up precious points late in matches.
Juniors Andrew Small and Alexander Fusco round out the returning letterwinners. Small posted a 5-0 record in singles play and showed versatility by winning matches at four different spots in the lineup. Fusco saw the majority of his playing time on the doubles side with Engleberg and racked up an 8-1 record. Both players will be asked to make larger contributions in the upcoming season.
Freshman Matthew Markavage, the only newcomer on the roster, will look to prove himself early in the season. With such a loaded and experienced group, Markavage will have to fight hard to crack the starting lineup.
Mitchell opens the season with a conference match right out of the gate. The Mariners will host Newbury College on March 25, the first of eight NECC matches and 12 overall contests on the 2011 slate. The schedule also includes non-conference dates against Post, Johnson & Wales and Albertus Magnus. The season concludes with the NECC Individual Tennis Championship, which will be held on April 30 and May 1 at a site still to be determined.
