GC&SU Men sweep season opener
The GC&SU Men’s Tennis Team entered the 2006 season ranked eleventh in the preseason poll and looks to build off of last year’s success.
“It’s higher than we finished last year,” said Head Coach Steve Barsby.? “If we can hold that spot, we’ll be in good shape.”
The Bobcats finished last season 18-7 overall and 6-2 in the Peach Belt Conference and were ranked fifteenth in the nation.?
Last season marked the Bobcats’ second consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament where they lost to Armstrong Atlantic State University in the Regional Championship match.
Barsby said the difference in this year’s team compared to last year is how the team will approach their matches.
“This year’s team is a little more high-strung,” Barsby said.? “I don’t know if that is a good thing or a bad thing.? It’s helped us in practice because we’ve been working real hard.”
The change in demeanor, Barsby said, is a result of the loss of All-American Neil Scantlebury whose relaxed attitude towards tennis rubbed off on the rest of the team.
Sophomore Erick Siqueira, who finished last season 17-4 in singles and 16-8 in doubles, said the loss of Scantlebury has made the team better because it has forced them to rally together.
“Some people would say that we are weaker than last year, but we are getting really fired up,” Siqueira said.? “I think we are going to be stronger than last year.”
Barsby said this year’s team will benefit from the experience of returning players.
“We’ll be real solid.? We have four guys who are seniors this year who will be in the lineup,” Barsby said.? “Hopefully, the extra year will help us play a little better.? It’s a matter of if we get off to a good start and have our confidence up.”
Barsby is expecting Siqueira and junior Rodigo Yamauti, who earned All-Peach Belt Conference honors in doubles last season, to lead the team, but he is also looking for strong play from senior Mariano Cebrian.
“This is the first year Mariano will be in the lineup full time,” Barsby said.? “He’s always been in and out of the line up.? I’m hoping that he has a good year because he has been a great kid to have around for four years.”
Cebrian said he is ready to step up to the challenge and make a major contribution to the team.
“Over the last three or four years I’ve learned I have to work hard, so I’ve been just trying to work harder and harder,” Cebrian said.
Eight out of the nine teams in the PBC are nationally ranked, and for the Bobcats to be successful, Barsby said the team needs to stay focused and not try to play better than they are.
“If we just play to our strengths, we’ll be fine,” Barsby said.? “We don’t have anybody who’s really super talented.? We just have six guys who can grind.”
Siqueira said the key for the Bobcats will be teamwork- picking each other up when a player gets down.
“We need to stick together and stay united,” Siqueira said. “I think we can do a good job.? We’ll see what happens.”
The Bobcats got off to a great start last weekend in their season opener at the Centennial Center. The team swept both Georgia Southwestern and Morehouse College. In both matches the team won 9-0, winning all six singles matches in straight sets, and nailing the victory by taking all three doubles matches. The team plays at the home again this weekend to face Fort Valley State at 2 p.m. on Friday and North Greenville at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Posted by Colonnade Archives
on Feb 10 2006. Filed under Sports.
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