'Roos Hit The Road For Three Matches
3/17/2009 11:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
THIS WEEK
The UMKC men's tennis team is slated to compete in three matches in two different states this week. The Kangaroos will open play in Wilmington, N.C., where they will face South Carolina-Upstate on Wednesday and Troy State on Thursday at the UNCW Tennis Complex. The squad will then round out the week with a match at No. 53 Arkansas on Sunday morning in Fayetteville.
THE OPPONENTS
The Spartans have won 10 straight matches to improve their overall record to 12-2 this season. USC-Upstate's last defeat came on Feb. 7 when it dropped a 5-2 decision at Yale. The Spartans have six players who have posted at least 10 singles victories this season with Ramiro Blanco leading the way with a perfect 12-0 record. The team also has one doubles duo that is undefeated as Edgar Rodriguez and Jack Roux are 11-0 at the No. 2-3 positions.
Troy State is 1-7 overall this season after dropping its last three matches, which includes a tight 4-3 loss to Jacksonville State on March 3 in Alabama. Aurelien Tave is the Trojans' top singles player, as he has posted a 4-4 record at the top two positions.
Arkansas brings a 7-7 overall record and a 1-3 mark in SEC play into Sunday's match against the ?Roos. Last Sunday, the Hogs upset No. 39 Vanderbilt in Nashville by the score of 4-3. Arkansas, which is 53rd in the ITA rankings, is led by Matt Hogan, who is ranked No. 120 in singles. Blake Strode and Hogan, meanwhile, are the 60th ranked doubles tandem in the country.
LAST COMPETITION
The Kangaroos split a pair of matches in Lincoln, Neb., on March 7-8, falling 7-0 to No. 41 Nebraska before defeating Bradley, 5-2. After having its five-match winning streak snapped against the Cornhuskers, the ?Roos got back on track with the win over the Braves. UMKC won the highly contested doubles point before taking four of the six singles matches to secure its sixth win of the season.
STARTING THE SEASON WITH A BANG
With their 6-2 record, the Kangaroos are off to their best start since the 1998-99 campaign. The team's five-match winning streak from Jan. 24 to Feb. 27 was the longest for the program since the 1998-99 season when the team won seven consecutive matches.
SERGE IS SIDELINED
Sophomore Serge Ristivojevic is not available for the Kangaroos, after being diagnosed with pneumonia earlier this month. Ristivojevic missed the team's last two matches and his return date is still undetermined. Freshman Nick Hays filled in for Ristivojevic during the trip to Lincoln, where he competed at the No. 4 position.
?ROOS STRONG IN DUBS
The Kangaroos have claimed the doubles points in six-of-seven matches this season (the doubles point was not contested vs. Weber State). UMKC's Patrick Smith and Bret Berryman have posted a 5-2 record for the team at the No. 1 doubles position.
THREE ?ROOS GARNER ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS
Three members of the UMKC men's tennis team have garnered Summit League Athlete of the Week honors this season. Serge Ristivojevic earned the first honor on Jan. 28 after posting a 2-1 overall record in both singles and doubles in a pair of matches to open the season. Patrick Smith became the second straight ?Roo to earn the honor on Feb. 3 after posting a perfect 6-0 combined record in singles in doubles in UMKC's three straight wins over Gonzaga, Air Force and Northern Colorado. Bret Berryman then became the third different player to receive the honor on March 3. The Blue Springs, Mo., native earned the accolade after winning both of his matches at the one line in the 7-0 sweep over Creighton.
THREE ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE HONOREES RETURN FOR ?ROOS
UMKC returns three student-athletes that received all-Summit League honors last season in junior Patrick Smith, sophomore Serge Ristivojevic and junior Dennis Schwarz. Smith and Ristivojevic were first team all-league honorees, while Schwarz earned second team all-league honors for the seconds consecutive season.
KANGAROOS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
The UMKC men's tennis team was picked as the runner-up in The Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll. The Kangaroos received a league-best three first place votes en route to a total of 31 points. Oral Roberts was tabbed as the league favorite after finishing with 32 points, which included a pair of first place tallies.
HEAD COACH KENDELL HALE
Head Coach Kendell Hale is in his second season as the head coach of the UMKC men's and women's tennis program. In his first season with the Kangaroos, Hale guided the men's program to a third place Summit League finish with a 4-2 mark. Three student-athletes earned all-league honors under Hale's watch.
Before joining the UMKC staff, Hale spent 11 years as the head coach at Rockhurst University, where he led the Hawks to nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
The UMKC men's tennis team is slated to compete in three matches in two different states this week. The Kangaroos will open play in Wilmington, N.C., where they will face South Carolina-Upstate on Wednesday and Troy State on Thursday at the UNCW Tennis Complex. The squad will then round out the week with a match at No. 53 Arkansas on Sunday morning in Fayetteville.
THE OPPONENTS
The Spartans have won 10 straight matches to improve their overall record to 12-2 this season. USC-Upstate's last defeat came on Feb. 7 when it dropped a 5-2 decision at Yale. The Spartans have six players who have posted at least 10 singles victories this season with Ramiro Blanco leading the way with a perfect 12-0 record. The team also has one doubles duo that is undefeated as Edgar Rodriguez and Jack Roux are 11-0 at the No. 2-3 positions.
Troy State is 1-7 overall this season after dropping its last three matches, which includes a tight 4-3 loss to Jacksonville State on March 3 in Alabama. Aurelien Tave is the Trojans' top singles player, as he has posted a 4-4 record at the top two positions.
Arkansas brings a 7-7 overall record and a 1-3 mark in SEC play into Sunday's match against the ?Roos. Last Sunday, the Hogs upset No. 39 Vanderbilt in Nashville by the score of 4-3. Arkansas, which is 53rd in the ITA rankings, is led by Matt Hogan, who is ranked No. 120 in singles. Blake Strode and Hogan, meanwhile, are the 60th ranked doubles tandem in the country.
LAST COMPETITION
The Kangaroos split a pair of matches in Lincoln, Neb., on March 7-8, falling 7-0 to No. 41 Nebraska before defeating Bradley, 5-2. After having its five-match winning streak snapped against the Cornhuskers, the ?Roos got back on track with the win over the Braves. UMKC won the highly contested doubles point before taking four of the six singles matches to secure its sixth win of the season.
STARTING THE SEASON WITH A BANG
With their 6-2 record, the Kangaroos are off to their best start since the 1998-99 campaign. The team's five-match winning streak from Jan. 24 to Feb. 27 was the longest for the program since the 1998-99 season when the team won seven consecutive matches.
SERGE IS SIDELINED
Sophomore Serge Ristivojevic is not available for the Kangaroos, after being diagnosed with pneumonia earlier this month. Ristivojevic missed the team's last two matches and his return date is still undetermined. Freshman Nick Hays filled in for Ristivojevic during the trip to Lincoln, where he competed at the No. 4 position.
?ROOS STRONG IN DUBS
The Kangaroos have claimed the doubles points in six-of-seven matches this season (the doubles point was not contested vs. Weber State). UMKC's Patrick Smith and Bret Berryman have posted a 5-2 record for the team at the No. 1 doubles position.
THREE ?ROOS GARNER ATHLETE OF THE WEEK HONORS
Three members of the UMKC men's tennis team have garnered Summit League Athlete of the Week honors this season. Serge Ristivojevic earned the first honor on Jan. 28 after posting a 2-1 overall record in both singles and doubles in a pair of matches to open the season. Patrick Smith became the second straight ?Roo to earn the honor on Feb. 3 after posting a perfect 6-0 combined record in singles in doubles in UMKC's three straight wins over Gonzaga, Air Force and Northern Colorado. Bret Berryman then became the third different player to receive the honor on March 3. The Blue Springs, Mo., native earned the accolade after winning both of his matches at the one line in the 7-0 sweep over Creighton.
THREE ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE HONOREES RETURN FOR ?ROOS
UMKC returns three student-athletes that received all-Summit League honors last season in junior Patrick Smith, sophomore Serge Ristivojevic and junior Dennis Schwarz. Smith and Ristivojevic were first team all-league honorees, while Schwarz earned second team all-league honors for the seconds consecutive season.
KANGAROOS PICKED TO FINISH THIRD IN SUMMIT LEAGUE PRESEASON POLL
The UMKC men's tennis team was picked as the runner-up in The Summit League Preseason Coaches Poll. The Kangaroos received a league-best three first place votes en route to a total of 31 points. Oral Roberts was tabbed as the league favorite after finishing with 32 points, which included a pair of first place tallies.
HEAD COACH KENDELL HALE
Head Coach Kendell Hale is in his second season as the head coach of the UMKC men's and women's tennis program. In his first season with the Kangaroos, Hale guided the men's program to a third place Summit League finish with a 4-2 mark. Three student-athletes earned all-league honors under Hale's watch.
Before joining the UMKC staff, Hale spent 11 years as the head coach at Rockhurst University, where he led the Hawks to nine NCAA Tournament appearances.
Players Mentioned
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