Asher Gibbons and Jacob Zanolla
Sports Editor and Staff Writer
While FSC contains a diverse group of cultures on campus, the men’s tennis team is a true melting pot in every sense of the phrase. Out of the 20 players, 13 hail from foreign countries, which creates a unique experience compared to other sports.
Some countries represented include our Canadian neighbors to the north, English and Swedish companions across the pond and even players from Egypt and Turkey. With all these different walks of life combining under the tennis team, it’s absolutely necessary for the group to grow their chemistry to improve on-court play.
Head coach Rhett Rollyson said that one of the ways he gets his team to bond is through different activities off the courts.
“I think it’s important that early on, you do a lot of team-building things. For example, we had a paintball outing on Saturday after a scrimmage,” Rollyson said. “There’s been no roadblock between getting to understand each other’s cultures and everything. It’s really been pretty smooth.”
One of the many international students on the team is Edoardo Melindo, the senior team captain from Italy. Melindo admitted that there are some growing pains when it comes to dealing with this amount of foreign athletes, but also added that a language barrier is something most of the players have had to overcome.
“In the past, we’ve had a couple of issues understanding and getting everything in the right place with some of those international guys,” Melindo said. “My English was not the best in the freshman year. It got better just by talking every day.”
When prospective players from other countries need a current team member to have conversations with, Rollyson sends them to Melindo. The senior enjoys being a spokesperson for the college, adding that the benefits speak for themselves.
“All of the new guys, I managed to talk to them before they decided to come in, so they could get the first-hand experience and kind of understand what the vibe was. First of all, [it’s] Florida. It’s a cool place to live,” said Melindo.
“The fact that we play outdoor tennis all year-round is pretty sick. It’s been quite easy to advise them to come here because the coaching is great, the group of guys we have is amazing, the campus is nice, and the weather is nice.”
Melindo is entering his fourth year with the Mocs, allowing him to provide that guidance to incoming players. He’s seen a lot during his time at FSC.
“This year, definitely, we have the largest number of good guys and hard workers,” Melindo said. “I think it’s going to be probably the best season in my four years, even though last year was pretty amazing as well.”
Furthermore, it’s not just the players that bring different cultures to the team, as there are three assistant coaches that have cemented themselves in the U.S. Those coaches include Isaac Galindo, Alberto Bonfil and Eddie Carvallo.
“It’s really cool for these [students] that are internationals that there’s some mentors that are here that have created a life for themselves here in the U.S.,” Rollyson said.
Rollyson also addressed the depth of this 2025-2026 team, alluding to the help that depth will have as the season wears on. Instead of worrying about who can fill in as replacements, the head coach says they have more than enough talent to fill up the roster, and then some.
“We’ve got a really good group, cohesive. We only play six singles and three doubles in a dual match setting in the spring,” Rollyson said. “I make the joke that if we play like 10 singles and five doubles, we’d probably be the best in the country because we have that much depth.”
During their outing in the ITA South Regional Championships, the Mocs showed immense promise for their future season. Senior Mario Garoz and graduate student Mario Antonio Morales both made it to the round of 16 in a tournament that began with 64 athletes.
Additionally, Antonio Morales defeated the number one seeded Sebastian Rondon of UWF in the round of 32.
The Mocs will look to continue their fall tour before the spring season during the YTF draw. For all information about the men’s tennis team, visit fscmocs.com
