BETHLEHEM, Pa. – A young roster and a 2-0 fall season make for the building blocks of the Moravian College men's tennis team which is trying to keep the balance by carrying the fall momentum into the 2015 spring portion and hopefully lead the Greyhounds back to the playoffs.
"We are a very young team," said Director of Tennis Art Smith. "We only have one senior, but we are working hard. We are improving each practice and we will have to continue to do that to be successful and make it back to the playoffs once again. The men's league is pretty competitive and very even right now."
Senior captain Lewis Cooper posted a 4-2 mark this fall as he returns to help guide the young team. Cooper is coming off a successful spring in 2014 which included a 10-6 overall record in singles play, including a 6-1 conference mark and a 12-4 overall slate and a 7-0 conference record playing at the second doubles spot. He was selected to the Landmark All-Conference Second Team for both singles and doubles.
"Lewis is a great captain and team member," Smith said. "He saved our first season by being the sixth guy when he decided to come out. For the first time, he played with us in the fall season, which gave him extra time to improve upon things and has gotten much better. He is a tremendous competitor and great team leader and I couldn't ask for anything else from Lewis."
Juniors, co-captain Matt Tuorto, John Wylie and C.J. Widdifield all return for the Blue and Grey. A year ago, Wylie and Tuorto earned Landmark All-Conference Second Team for the second consecutive year for doubles playing in the first doubles spot and posting 11-8 overall record. Wylie went 2-4 overall during the fall including a 1-1 mark at No. 2 singles in dual matches while Tuorto went 3-3 overall including a 2-0 record in dual matches in the No. 1 singles. The classmates also teamed up for a 1-1 record at first doubles in dual matches this past the fall. Widdifield is 1-1 overall after the closing of the fall portion and bring experience in sixth singles doubles action.
"The junior class is very strong," commented Smith. "Matt, John and C.J., who have all started since their freshman year, will play an integral part to the season successes. The sophomores have done a good job, Giovanni and Dan have improved and gotten better from last year and I expect the same type of play from them this spring. They will also play a big part this year since we have limited players and will be starting in both singles and doubles in most cases."
Sophomores Giovanni Lombardi and Dan Schmucker both earned three wins in singles action to start the fall. Lombardi was 3-3 overall and a 1-1 in dual action while teaming up with Cooper for doubles with a 5-1 overall and a 2-0 record in dual play. Schmucker went 3-2 overall and 1-0 in singles while teaming up with both Widdifield and freshman David Wilson. The Hounds have added two freshman to the squad, Wilson who participated in the fall and recently acquired transfer Brett Vasvari for the spring season.
"David did nicely in the fall," said Smith. "He went 2-0 in singles and 2-0 in doubles, we are still seeing where he will fit best. He has a terrific serve for doubles and works very hard in practice. He will be a great addition to the team. He is a good kid and I think he will help us this spring."
The Greyhounds were selected to finish third in the Landmark Conference Coaches Preseason Poll, receiving one first-place vote along with four other teams who received at least one first-place vote. With the conference up for grabs, the spring training trip in Orlando, Florida can only help prepare the team to take on the challenges that lie ahead.
"The Florida trip is important for a couple of reasons," commented Smith. "First off, it's a good bonding experience for the guys, they live together for five days. It also gives them a chance to practice and play every day. We have very little free time, we play four matches in four days against competitive teams.
Smith continued, "Our record over spring break in Orlando doesn't reflect our play, we may only be 2-6, but we play tough teams that are very good and every match is very close. Which is what we want from the experience, the chance to see competitive teams which push us from our comfort zone and challenge us. It's also nice to get out of the ARC and play tennis in nice weather."
The Moravian men open the spring season with a non-conference match at Baptist Bible College on Saturday, Feb. 21 at 1 p.m. The Greyhounds then head to warmer temperatures with a four-match stint in Orlando, Florida to face Wabash (Ind.) College, Monmouth (Ill.) College, Berry (Ga.) College and Cornell (Iowa) College starting on Sunday, March 9.
The first home match at the Hoffman Courts is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 at 1 p.m. against The United States Merchant Marine Academy, the first Landmark Conference match of the year.
