Men's Tennis September 06, 2016 Stetson University

Men's Tennis Announces Fall Schedule

Stetson men's tennis head coach Christophe Noblet today announced the Hatters' 2016 fall competition schedule.

The Hatters will participate in four events between the end of September and the middle of November. Stetson will also host an Alumni Reunion during Homecoming weekend, and junior standout Loic Blanco will play in the prestigious ITA All-American.

Stetson's 2016-17 roster is deeper than a season ago, but it's also decidedly younger as the Hatters feature four freshmen on the eight man squad. The fall schedule will help prepare the Hatters for the spring season.

"If we can play as many matches as possible and get as much exposure to as many different styles and environments as possible, it benefits us," Noblet said. "My hope is everyone on the team plays around 15 total matches this fall. That will give us a lot to work with and help us make the necessary adjustments for the spring."

Several new events are on the schedule for the Hatters, but perhaps none more important than the final one. The Hatters will send to-be-determined players to the ITF Futures Pensacola, Nov. 11-14. Noblet hopes to begin playing regularly in Futures events.

"The Futures event is something I'm hoping will help in recruiting," he said. "It's an opportunity to help prepare our guys for the professional tour, if that's what they desire after college. We'll also play a futures tournament in the spring as well. I'm not sure how many guys we'll take because you have to be selected to play based on your ranking."

The Hatters open their fall season with the Bedford Cup, Sept. 23-25 in Tampa. The Bedford Cup is an annual event featuring the state's Division I tennis programs.

"It's a pretty cool concept," Noblet said. "There are no entry fees and the organizers pick up a lot of our expenses. It's a great deal for the teams. There's a great level of tennis and it's a chance to represent the University when all of the other schools are present."

Blanco will get an opportunity to shine on a national stage when he heads to Tulsa, Okla., for the ITA All-American, Oct. 1-4 at the University of Tulsa.

"The All-American is the highest level of collegiate tennis," Noblet said. "It's going to give Loic and our program some tremendous exposure and will hopefully help him get to level he desires."

Fall play continues at the College of Charleston Invitational, Oct. 7-9. The event is a dual format with multiple opponents. Noblet hopes this event prepares Stetson's four freshmen for spring dual match competition.

"We'll play this tournament just like we would in the spring, where we'll collectively face one team at a time," Noblet said. "I'm hoping this will be good for the freshmen and help them get a feel for what the spring will be like."

After ITA Regionals in Tallahassee Oct. 20-23, the Hatters will host their annual Alumni Reunion on November 5 as part of Homecoming weekend.

Noblet will not only use the fall to evaluate his team for the spring season, but it will also be an opportunity on work on doubles play, an are the Hatters have struggled in recent seasons.

"Our emphasis on doubles is the highest it's ever been," Noblet said. "Our doubles the last couple of years haven't performed as well they need to and it penalizes us. That fourth point in a dual match is always tricky. Our goal this year is probably to win about 70 percent of our doubles matches. If we can do that we'll have the success we're hoping for."

While the spring is considered Stetson's championship season, the fall has great importance for each individual player.

"I hope they look at the fall as an opportunity to prove themselves," Noblet said. "I hope they embrace the tournaments with the same excitement as they do the dual matches in the spring. We have a great group of guys this year and the fall is a time they can begin to really grow close and gain that chemistry that we'll need to be successful in the spring."

--SU--

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Loic Blanco: 6' 3"; Freshman

Loic Blanco: 6' 3"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Loic Blanco
: 6' 3"; Freshman

Loic Blanco
: 6' 3"; Junior

Stetson University Athletics

Scoreboard

Tickets, donate, shop

Men's Tennis Announces Fall Schedule

Players Mentioned

Loic Blanco

Loic Blanco

Players Mentioned

Loic Blanco

Loic Blanco