'Roos to Face UTPA and Grand Canyon in Texas This Weekend
2/28/2014 9:31:00 PM | Men's Tennis
THIS WEEK
Kansas City (3-8) men's tennis travels to Edinburg, Texas to face Grand Canyon and Texas-Pan American this weekend, both WAC opponents. It will be the third and fourth conference affiliated foes the 'Roos have faced this season.
THE OPPONENTS
The 'Lopes of Grand Canyon are 5-3 overall on the season after knocking off UTPA on Friday by a 4-3 score. They have also defeated Chicago State. They are balanced across their lineup with at least three wins from each spot, but post winning marks at No. 5 and 6. This will be the first meeting with GCU for the 'Roos.
The Broncs of Texas-Pan American come into Saturday with a 2-9 overall mark and have lost seven straight. They are paced by No. 1 player Juan Cruz Soria, who has a 3-7 record, while as a team they are strongest at the No. 6 spot. This will be the first contest between UMKC and UTPA.
WHO IS COMPETING
Kansas City will have Tomas Patino, Mike Psarros, Andrey Smirnov, Daniil Ivanov, Vinh Pham, Conner Edwards, Uldis Gaismins and Daniel De Zamacona all playing.
THE WAC
WAC play will have no regular season champion crowned, only a conference tournament champion. The teams will be seeded in the league tournament based on ITA rankings. The WAC Tournament will be played April 25-27 in Las Cruces, N.M., hosted by New Mexico State.
Media Guide Online
The 2014 UMKC men's tennis media guide is online here.
'ROOS IN THE NCAAS
Last season was UMKC's sixth appearance overall and the third straight in the NCAA Tournament, falling to USC (1999), UCLA (2000), Baylor (2009), Texas (2011), Oklahoma (2012) and UCLA (2013).
HEAD COACH KENDELL HALE
Kendell Hale is in his seventh season as the head coach of the UMKC men's and women's tennis program. Overall, the 2013-14 season will be Hale's 20th as a collegiate head coach, where he compiled a 364-267 overall combined men's and women's record coming in. On the women's side, he has a current record of 57-85 at UMKC, while boasting a 79-63 mark with the men.
Hale has orchestrated an amazing turnaround with the men's and women's tennis programs since joining the department in 2008. He has guided both the men's and women's squads to numerous school-record win totals and has produced four Summit League regular season titles, four Summit League Tournament crowns and four NCAA Tournament appearances. He was selected as the 2010 USTPA National Coach of the Year for his turnaround effort, as well as 2009 and 2013 USPTA Missouri Valley College Coach of the Year, the 2011 Summit League Men's Coach of the Year, and 2013 Summit League Women's Coach of the Year.
In six seasons at the helm, Hale has coached 23 all-league honorees on the men's side and 12 all-league selections on the women's side. He's coached three Summit League Players of the Year and three Summit League Newcomers of the Year.
Hale has also coached the five winningest players in school history on the women's side, and four of the five top career win leaders on the men's side.
