Dakota Webb
The men’s tennis team began their spring season with an opening game against Flagler College.
This was the first game under head coach Greg Van Emburgh, who brings more than a decade of previous Division I coaching to the team’s advantage.
With a final score of eight to one, the Mocs fell to the 11 ranked team in the NCAA Men’s Tennis Bracket. There was a close match between Miguel AlvarezHevia and Matt Matsuyama from Florida Southern, and Hermann Gertmann and Luca Bolla from Flagler, as the Mocs lost by two points.
The Mocs stepped up their game in the singles matches as Alvaro Arias won against Gertmann.
The men’s team traveled to Deland on Feb. 3 to play against Division I, Stetson University, but finished with a final score of 7-0. Stetson has three wins and zero losses for their season, while the Mocs currently sit at a zero wins and two losses.
The Mocs put up a fight as Alvarez-Hevia and Matsuyama played against Malik Bhatnagar and Angus Bradshaw, from Stetson, in a nail biting match that resulted in another defeat for the Mocs, with a close final score of 7-6.
The Mocs have had some difficult teams to face off against for the first few matches, but the season is just beginning. The Mocs will be back in action on Feb. 21 against Saint Leo at 3 p.m.
The women’s tennis team, ranked 17 in the NCAA Division II National Team Rankings of this season. The Mocs ranked third in the Sunshine State Conference Preseason Coaches’ Poll for 2018 season with 77 votes in total.
The Mocs spring season started in Tampa on Feb 14 where they defeated the University of Tampa 7-2. Florida Southern won 5 of 6 singles matches and 2 of 3 doubles matches.
The team’s first home game will be played on the Feb. 16 against Lynn University.
The spring season for both the Men’s and Women’s tennis team is sure to be a season that will keep you on the edge of your seats.
