DeLand, Fla. ? Both the Stetson men's and women's tennis teams have been predicted to finish second in the Atlantic Sun Conference in their respective preseason coaches polls, the league office announced Wednesday. The Hatter men open the 2009 season ranked 65th nationally in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association preseason poll as well.
Head Coach Pierre Pilote, who enters his 16th season just seven wins shy of 300 for his career, had his Stetson men's squad picked second behind nationally 39th-ranked ETSU. The Hatters fell to the Buccaneers in the 2008 A-Sun tournament championship match. ETSU garnered seven first place votes and 116 points overall while Stetson got four first place votes and 112 total points. Campbell was picked third with 88 points, followed by USC Upstate (79), North Florida (77), Jacksonville (67), Belmont (59), Florida Gulf Coast (53), Mercer (39), Kennesaw State (27) and Lipscomb (18). ETSU was also predicted to win the A-Sun tournament. ETSU senior Enrique Olivares, the nation's ninth-ranked player, was tabbed 2009 Atlantic Sun Preseason Player of the Year.
The Hatters return two sophomores that were named to the 2008 A-Sun All-Freshman team: Gokay Celik (Istanbul, Turkey) and Christopher Swanteson (Vaxjo, Sweden). Senior Filip Kricka (Umag, Croatia) and a host of internationally acclaimed newcomers will also help lead the way for Stetson this spring.
The Stetson women's tennis team, under the direction of 2008 Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year Sasha Schmid, was also tabbed second behind ETSU in an extremely close vote decided by just one point. The Lady Bucs earned five first place votes and 110 total points while the Hatters received four first place nods and 109 total points. Two-time defending A-Sun tournament titlist Jacksonville was picked third with 96 points and reigning regular season champion USC Upstate took fourth with two first place votes and 92 total points. Rounding out the preseason predictions are North Florida (72), Campbell (63), Kennesaw State (47), Florida Gulf coast (46), Belmont (44), Mercer (28) and Lipscomb (18). ETSU was picked to win the A-Sun tournament with Yevgeniya Stupak of the Lady Bucs named 2009 A-Sun Preseason Player of the Year.
Junior Valentina Galbarini (Montevideo, Uruguay), a First Team All-Atlantic Sun honoree last season, and Second Team junior Breanna Atkinson (Bradenton, Fla.), join sophomore Unnati Purushotham (Hyderabad, India), an All-Freshman Team selection in leading Stetson in 2009.
The women's team begins the season next Saturday, Jan. 17 at the Johan Kriek Invitational, hosted by FGCU, while the #65 men open Jan. 27 at Volusia County rival Bethune-Cookman.
