'Roos Head To Husker Country For A Pair Of Matches
3/6/2009 11:00:00 AM | Men's Tennis
THIS WEEK
The UMKC men's tennis team will hit the road for a pair of matches beginning this weekend in Lincoln, Neb., at the Nebraska Tennis Center. The Kangaroos will open play against No. 41 Nebraska on Saturday night beginning at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday morning, UMKC will then square off against Bradley beginning at 10 a.m.
THE OPPONENTS
Nebraska enters the weekend with a No. 41 national ranking after compiling an 8-2 record to start the season. The Cornhuskers, who have won five consecutive matches, have four victories this season over ranked opponents No. 52 Denver, No. 54 Drake, No. 57 Indiana and No. 68 San Francisco. David Bendheim and Calin Paar occupy the top two spots in the line-up for the Huskers. Bendheim has a 7-3 spring mark while playing primarily at the one line, while Paar has an 8-2 record at No. 2.
Bradley, meanwhile, is 5-4 on the year after claiming a victory over Wright State in its last competition. The Braves are led by Milos Romic, who has competed at the one line in every match this season, where he has posted a 5-4 record.
LAST WEEK
The Kangaroos cruised to their fifth straight victory when they rolled past Creighton, 7-0, on Feb. 27 in Kansas City. UMKC opened the match by claiming the doubles point courtesy of a 9-7 win by Bret Berryman and Patrick Smith at the one line. The ?Roos then won all six singles matches to claim their third sweep in the last four matches.
STARTING THE SEASON WITH A BANG
UMKC has won five consecutive matches, which is the longest winning streak for the program since the 1998-99 season when the team won seven straight. The team's 5-1 start, meanwhile, is the best start to a season for the ?Roos since the 1999-00 campaign, when the squad started the year with a 5-2 mark.
FIVE AND COUNTIN'
Three UMKC student-athletes are currently riding five-match singles winning streaks heading into this weekend's matches in Lincoln. Serge Ristivojevic, Dennis Schwarz and Erwin Quintanilla have all been perfect since dropping their season opening matches against UNLV. Another ?Roo - Patrick Smith - has won his last four singles matches.
PERFECTO IN DOUBLES
The Kangaroos have not lost the doubles point through five matches on the year (the doubles point was not contested vs. Weber State). Two of UMKC's doubles pairs are undefeated in their five matches this spring. Patrick Smith and Bret Berryman are 5-0 at the one line, while Gustavo Guerin and Serge Ristivojevic are 5-0 at No. 3.
BERRYMAN IS NEWEST MEMBER OF ATHLETE OF THE WEEK GANG
Junior Bret Berryman became the third different UMKC student-athlete to earn Summit League Athlete of the Week honors, when he received the accolade on March 3. The Blue Springs, Mo., native earned the honor after winning both of his matches at the one line in the 7-0 sweep over Creighton.
Sophomore Serge Ristivojevic and junior Patrick Smith were the first two Kangaroo honorees on Jan. 28 and Feb. 3, respectively. Ristivojevic earned the nod after posting a 2-1 overall record in both singles and doubles in a pair of matches in Las Vegas to open the season. Smith then became the second straight ?Roo to earn the honor 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.
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 will hit the road for a pair of matches beginning this weekend in Lincoln, Neb., at the Nebraska Tennis Center. The Kangaroos will open play against No. 41 Nebraska on Saturday night beginning at 7:30 p.m. On Sunday morning, UMKC will then square off against Bradley beginning at 10 a.m.
THE OPPONENTS
Nebraska enters the weekend with a No. 41 national ranking after compiling an 8-2 record to start the season. The Cornhuskers, who have won five consecutive matches, have four victories this season over ranked opponents No. 52 Denver, No. 54 Drake, No. 57 Indiana and No. 68 San Francisco. David Bendheim and Calin Paar occupy the top two spots in the line-up for the Huskers. Bendheim has a 7-3 spring mark while playing primarily at the one line, while Paar has an 8-2 record at No. 2.
Bradley, meanwhile, is 5-4 on the year after claiming a victory over Wright State in its last competition. The Braves are led by Milos Romic, who has competed at the one line in every match this season, where he has posted a 5-4 record.
LAST WEEK
The Kangaroos cruised to their fifth straight victory when they rolled past Creighton, 7-0, on Feb. 27 in Kansas City. UMKC opened the match by claiming the doubles point courtesy of a 9-7 win by Bret Berryman and Patrick Smith at the one line. The ?Roos then won all six singles matches to claim their third sweep in the last four matches.
STARTING THE SEASON WITH A BANG
UMKC has won five consecutive matches, which is the longest winning streak for the program since the 1998-99 season when the team won seven straight. The team's 5-1 start, meanwhile, is the best start to a season for the ?Roos since the 1999-00 campaign, when the squad started the year with a 5-2 mark.
FIVE AND COUNTIN'
Three UMKC student-athletes are currently riding five-match singles winning streaks heading into this weekend's matches in Lincoln. Serge Ristivojevic, Dennis Schwarz and Erwin Quintanilla have all been perfect since dropping their season opening matches against UNLV. Another ?Roo - Patrick Smith - has won his last four singles matches.
PERFECTO IN DOUBLES
The Kangaroos have not lost the doubles point through five matches on the year (the doubles point was not contested vs. Weber State). Two of UMKC's doubles pairs are undefeated in their five matches this spring. Patrick Smith and Bret Berryman are 5-0 at the one line, while Gustavo Guerin and Serge Ristivojevic are 5-0 at No. 3.
BERRYMAN IS NEWEST MEMBER OF ATHLETE OF THE WEEK GANG
Junior Bret Berryman became the third different UMKC student-athlete to earn Summit League Athlete of the Week honors, when he received the accolade on March 3. The Blue Springs, Mo., native earned the honor after winning both of his matches at the one line in the 7-0 sweep over Creighton.
Sophomore Serge Ristivojevic and junior Patrick Smith were the first two Kangaroo honorees on Jan. 28 and Feb. 3, respectively. Ristivojevic earned the nod after posting a 2-1 overall record in both singles and doubles in a pair of matches in Las Vegas to open the season. Smith then became the second straight ?Roo to earn the honor 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.
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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